Dead Men Tell No Tales
by Psvtiger
Summary: Bella finds herself in the middle of vampire shenanigans again, only this time the vampires aren't afraid to play. Twilight cross w/ Southern Vampire Mysteries  Sookie Stackhouse . FULL SUMMARY INSIDE.
1. Prologue

**Dead Men Tell No Tales**

**A/N:**

**Twilight time frame – post an AU version of New Moon, where Alice never had her vision, thus never giving the Cullens a reason to return to Forks. Story picks up as Bella is about to turn twenty and heading off to college in Shreveport, La. The Cullens will likely make a regular appearance later in the story, but their return isn't the story's driving force. Despite the heavier prologue, this story will meander into lighter territory. My initial goal (for now) is for the story to lead Bella into experiencing fun adventures in Sookie's world. Just wanted to do something a little different...hoping even the non-fans of either book series/saga can still read and enjoy, though I'm sure a basic knowledge of the characters and places mentioned in both sets will come in handy.**

**For those who may be reading my other Twilight based story, _Lightning Crashes_, I am NOT putting that story on hiatus to work on this. That story only has three chapters left, so I'm only planning on piecing this one together when I need a mental break from writing LC. I'll shift my focus to this story more permanently once my first fic is wrapped up. Without further ado...**

**Prologue**

I looked around the room making sure I had packed anything and everything that could be considered as having sentimental value. I didn't really care about the rest. I couldn't possibly take it all with me, and I knew better than to plan on coming back to retrieve whatever was left behind. I knew better than anyone when you left something behind, it was usually for good.

I threw the last duffel bag in the bed of the truck and turned to look at my Dad.

Charlie shook his head and absentmindedly kicked the front tire of my truck as he spoke the first words of the morning.

"I can't believe you're trusting this piece of metal for a 2 ½ day trip."

I smiled at the mention of my _Beast_, the name I had affectionately adopted for the hunk of junk about to take me over 38 hours southeast of where I was standing. I wasn't worried. The Beast had been in my life since I moved to Forks, and it had surprisingly survived quite a lot. The damn truck lived up to its name admirably.

"I gotta get on the road if I'm gonna make it to Boise before I need to stop. I really don't want to end up in the middle of nowhere for the night." I smiled at Charlie and gave him a quick hug.

The two of us had never been good at goodbyes. We had grown accustomed to them when I was a child, but this one was harder. We had formed a bond over the past couple of years. But even a bond like the one we now shared had its limits, and we both seemed to understand that the distance would be a significant test in maintaining our relationship. And then there was the issue of our communication style. Neither of us talked much on the phone. Charlie was awful with computers.

A sad sigh escaped my lungs before giving him a final hug. He cleared his throat, visibly uncomfortable with the entire situation as he backed up toward the house – a signal to both of us that he was ready to pretend to be prepared to let me go.

I jumped in the cab and brought the Beast to life. Before I could back out of the driveway, I heard Charlie call out over the growl of the motor.

"Bella! Be... _careful_."

I gave Charlie a slight nod and then an open mouthed smile at his final words, and then backed out of the driveway as I waved a final goodbye. I wasn't naïve. The words Charlie spoke weren't just about the journey, they were more about the destination. But despite Charlie's concerns over my choice, I knew I made the right decision.

Charlie's reservations about my leaving wasn't about the decision to go to college. Choosing to go to college would have been fine, except I chose to attend a school far from everything I knew. At least, that's how Charlie saw things. He had become stiflingly protective since the incredible news story broke. When I told him I wanted to go to college in Louisiana he had pulled a very uncharacteristic move by demanding I explain myself while at the same time letting me know it was absolutely not an option. Charlie was never the type that required much explanation for any of my actions, but I wasn't entirely shocked by the outburst. Our world had changed dramatically over the last couple of years. Myth became reality. Science fiction was fiction no more. I still had a hard time believing that the secret I exhaustively kept over the years was now public knowledge. Well, _some_ of what I had been keeping was public knowledge. _They_ had never gone public with what they were because _they_ were no longer here. Despite their absence, I'm sure the suspicions were there. But no one ever voiced them to me or tried to get my confirmation on the matter. After all, I didn't talk about _them_ anymore. Ever.

I gave Charlie all the right answers to explain myself. LSU - Shreveport had everything a soon-to-be college student would want. It was in the top fifteen of affordable public four year schools in the country, and affordability was a strong determining factor in where I could go. A factor I thought would prove to be the most convincing for my Dad. With the affordability came recognition from the LSU name. Although I wasn't actually going to be attending the main campus in Baton Rouge, it didn't matter – my degree would still contain those same three recognizable letters. As an added bonus, I would have student status for athletic events when I did want to take the short trek to the main campus. If I hadn't appealed to my Dad's pocket book, I tried winning him over with the idea of his daughter falling in love with the sport of football after seeing a night game in Death Valley. When that didn't work, I finally went after his sensible side. The school had undergraduate degrees in all three areas of study I had been torn between. English? _Check._ Journalism? _Double check._ Speech? _Triple check._ The Speech program had an award winning debate team that I thought was an interesting possibility, at the very least. Adding to that sensibility was the fact that LSU Shreveport was on a smaller scale than its parent university, a better fit in my eyes for a girl coming from a small town.

Charlie saw through it all. He argued that affordability couldn't be my main focus or I would have chosen a public school closer to home, or even one online where I would have virtually no living expenses. He scoffed at my mention of football and my feigned interest in going to a game. He smirked at my academic reasoning, arguing that just about every college in the entire country offered those three basic degrees. But the worst was when he actually laughed at my attempt to appeal to his small town life. Charlie brought out the big guns when he bitterly reminded me that I didn't grow up in a small town, I grew up in the big city of Phoenix.

I would have felt defeated if not for one thing – I was nineteen and legally able to make my own decisions. I had taken a year off after High School to work and save up money, knowing I would need it. I didn't tell Charlie about the decision until I already had the acceptance letter. I never applied anywhere else.

Somehow he knew I was really going to Louisiana for one reason, and one reason only. He saw my reactions to the news stories. He wasn't oblivious to the way I turned up the volume on the TV when the news focused on the new civil liberties debates. He wasn't blind to my seemingly inexplicable draw to magazines and books claiming to have expert knowledge on the myth to reality movement. And he knew as well as I did that the majority of the news was coming from the South. In particular, Louisiana.

And a part of me knew that he _knew. _About _them_. Maybe he thought I believed I would find them there. But what he couldn't possibly know is that I didn't want to find them. What he couldn't understand, and what I couldn't explain, was that I just wanted to find a door to their world again.

Yes, they had unceremoniously ejected me from the world I became inextricably intertwined with before anyone else even knew their world existed. True, they left me hollow and broken, and I vowed to never speak of them again. But even so, I couldn't seem to let it go. Oh, I could let _them_ go – just as easily as they had done with me. But I missed the excitement of it all. Did their world have danger? _Check._ Adventure? _Double Check._ Intrigue? _Triple Check._ They might all be dead - uh, undead - but it wasn't until I had been thrust into their world so abruptly that I felt truly _alive._

No, I wasn't going there to find them. I was going to Shreveport to find _me_.

**End Notes:**

**I've been toying with this idea for some time. The Prologue is MUCH heavier than I anticipate the story being, if I decide to continue it. Just thought I'd put this Prologue out there to see if it piques any interest – if it does, please review and let me know!**


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N:**

_**I should have probably mentioned this in my previous A/N, but would like to now. This is not an Edward/Bella story. Although he will make an appearance at some point. I have intentionally left out pairings in the summary, primarily because that just spoils the fun, no?**_

_**I was blown away by the response for this story's Prologue! Thank you so much to those that took the time to review, and I can't tell you how happy I was to get all of the alerts for this little story! I hope you continue to enjoy it!**_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

I unceremoniously dumped my bag on the floor and fell back onto my small twin bed. Before I even had a chance to relax in the silence, my dorm room door burst open as my overly excited roommate rushed in.

Seeing that I was in fact in the room, Danni belt out in a sing-song voice, "Happy, happy birthday, Bella!"

I couldn't keep the smile from spreading across my face. Danni and I had gotten along immediately when we met a month ago. It didn't take long for us to figure out we had quite a lot in common. The college housing department wisely paired the two of us up based on our similar age, but as we quickly got to know each other we soon learned our similarities went much deeper than our birth year.

"So, how was it?" Danni's voice was laced with a mixture of humor and concern.

"Ugh! Why do I need statistics for an English major anyway?"

I threw my hands up over my head and stretched on my bed. I couldn't believe it was only September. My first semester was in full swing and it already felt like I had been taking these classes for months instead of weeks. My first set of quizzes and exams had gone fairly well, and despite my lack of enthusiasm for the subject, I was fairly certain I would be getting a more than adequate grade on the Stat exam I had just taken.

Danni dumped her books on her desk before flopping down on her bed, excitement bubbling out of her voice with her next question.

"So, are you ready to celebrate your birthday properly or what?"

"Ready and very excited."

_And_ _nervous_. But I didn't want to say that out loud.

My birthday had actually been a couple of days ago, but as it fell on a weekday, and happened to be the day before Danni and I had several important quizzes to take, we decided to suspend all birthday talk until today – a Friday. Danni and I were celebrating the death of my teen years by going to a place we were both _dying_ to finally see – no pun intended. The place was called Fangtasia, and was a well-known vampire bar in Shreveport. We had heard a lot about the place since we started school, but unfortunately, Danni and I were both under the legal age to get in under normal circumstances. But tonight they were having an event called _Dead Music Night_ – a vampire spin on having a "live" band, and it was only on these nights that you could get in if you were under 21.

"Well, _I'm_ excited! What if we don't actually meet any vampires though?"

The disappointment was clear in Danni's voice, and I felt my own tone mirroring hers with my reply.

"Yea, that would be disappointing since we haven't been able to go until now. This is the first Dead Music Night the club has had since we've been here!"

Danni agreed by nodding and then suddenly got excited again.

"Yes, it has been the first, _but_...did you check out the website? The Rolling Bones are playing there next Thursday, _and..._wait for it...starting in two weeks they are having some charity event called a Band-Aid - something or other - where local bands are being invited to perform _every single night_ for the entire month of October! From what I could tell from the event details on the website, all evenings that bands are playing will follow the same admission regulations as the Dead Music Nights, meaning anyone over 18 can get in. Isn't that freakin' _awesome_?"

It was hard to compete with Danni's enthusiasm. Sometimes her energy reminded me of Ali-...uh-uh. I wasn't going to go there. Danni was _Danni_, and she didn't remind me of anyone.

Before I could linger on those thoughts any longer, my energetic roomie piped up again.

"So, if tonight is a wash because no vampires want to be around teenagers, we can spend all of October making up for it! Surely they wouldn't keep away for a whole month, right?"

"Right!"

Her lips turned down into a playful pout and I had to laugh at her. I also sympathized. But as much as I wanted to meet another vampire, I knew it was really important to Danni. She was majoring in pre-law with a specialty in civil rights, and her ambition was to work for the American Vampire League. Oddly enough, her interest came just from the media – she had never personally met a vampire. From what we heard, Fangtasia had been the go-to place in Shreveport if one wanted to see vampires, but we had heard from several people around campus that lately the only vampire they saw there was the one behind the bar.

We spent the next three hours getting ready. Danni changed her outfit at least a half dozen times before settling on black capri pants and an emerald tank top. With her olive skin and long black hair pulled back into a braid, she almost looked like a 21st century version of Pocahontas. I opted for a pair of dark jeans and a white button up cap-sleeved shirt, paired with my favorite black boots to dress the outfit up a little. I was thankful my roommate wasn't one to comment on my sense of style - or lack there-of.

After finally feeling like we were both dolled up enough for a night out, we headed to her car and I silently tried to calm my nerves. It felt strange to willingly want to hang out at a place with vampires, and was just another thing on a long list of things that had dramatically changed over the last few years. Back in high school, I couldn't have ever imagined wanting to go anywhere near a place if I knew James or anyone like him would be there too. And yet, here I was. Celebrating my birthday by purposely putting myself in an enclosed space with vampires I didn't know or have any reason to trust. Even if there weren't any to meet, I knew there would be at least one or two working there. It felt completely nuts and completely exhilarating all at the same time.

* * *

><p>"Wow, this place is packed." Danni whispered as we pulled into the parking lot.<p>

I answered in a similarly hushed voice, "Yea, and look at the line to get in. And, is that a vampire checking ID's?"

I wasn't sure why we were both talking so quietly when we were still in the car, but neither of us seemed to think it was weird. I knew vampires could hear _very_ well, and Danni seemed to be even more knowledgeable about their capabilities than me.

I took a deep breath as we got out of the car, heading toward the building and aiming for the back of the line. As we passed by the main entrance, I felt a hand wrap tightly around my wrist as I walked past the female bouncer. I spun around quickly, my breath catching in my throat as I was face to face with the female vampire.

"And where do you think you two are going?" The female vampire's voice came out as an almost purr as she blinked several times, drawing attention to her ridiculously long eye lashes.

"Um, we're, uh, heading to the back of the line?" I felt the heat creep up my neck at hearing my own pathetic voice, sounding very insecure and unsure of myself.

I had no idea why she stopped us, but she was looking intently at me as she continued her questions.

"Why did you come here?"

I blinked several times, stupefied into silence. Thankfully, Danni made herself useful and realized I somehow lost all capabilities of speaking.

"We're here to see the band." Danni's voice was a little more confident, though she wasn't doing much better than me in that department.

The female cocked an eyebrow at me before turning to face Danni. With another intense stare, she asked Danni, "Why are you _really_ here."

I thought the shock was wearing off when I heard Danni answer the first question, but the shock came right back as I heard how Danni answered the vampire's _second_ question.

"We're here celebrating Bella's birthday. We're both fascinated by vampires and haven't actually met any. This was the first night since we've lived here that you can get in if you're eighteen and over."

My mouth fell open listening to Danni's flat voice give so much detail. The female vampire smirked at us before opening the ropes and motioning us into the club, letting us cut the line completely.

As soon as we were inside, I turned to Danni and asked, "What was _that_ about?"

She looked confused at my question and just shrugged it off. I decided to drop it for now as we both took in our surroundings. The bar was decorated in the way you would imagine a stereotypical vampire hang out would be. The interior was black and red, with neon red lights above the bar indicating they served TruBlood. The few booths in the bar had black tabletops and red cushions on the seats. The bar stools alternated in red and black colored cushions. Once you took the time to take in all the details of the place, it almost seemed comical.

Danni and I decided to head to the bar where we both ordered a Diet Coke before claiming a small two person table close to the stage.

"Wow, this place is so cool inside, isn't it? It's exactly how you'd picture a vampire bar, right?" Danni's voice was back to its usual enthusiasm and she finally seemed to be out of the haze she'd been in since talking to the vampire outside.

I felt relieved to have her back to normal, but it felt as though she was completely forgetting about what just happened.

"Danni, you do realize you just met a vampire and talked to one, right? _For the first time?_"

"Oh my gosh! I know! And you too – she talked to you first and actually _touched_ you! What were her hands like, anyway? And she was so beautiful, but really … "

Danni couldn't find the right word, so I finished her thought for her. "Intense. Beautiful but incredibly intense. And her hands were cold, but strangely ..._soft._"

Danni just nodded as she continued to take in her surroundings. We fell into an easy silence as we watched the band set up and the floor fill up fast with people. After we finished our Diet Cokes we decided to join everyone on the floor once the band started their set. The music was loud and prevented any further conversation as we swayed and danced with the crowd around us.

While paying attention to the music just enough to throw my hands up at the right moments, I took the loud music as an opportunity to get lost in my thoughts. And only one subject was coursing through my brain. Her hand wasn't exactly _soft_, I guess that had been the wrong adjective. I was glad that my friend didn't ask me to elaborate, because I wasn't really sure how to without slipping my secret. I had led Danni to believe that I hadn't actually met any vampires once she admitted to never meeting any herself. I didn't want to have to talk about _them_ if I could help it, and as interested as Danni was, I knew she wouldn't let me off the hook easily.

The problem I was having now was reconciling the Cullens with everything I had learned about vampires since they became public knowledge. The Cullens couldn't be staked. The Cullens _sparkled_ like freaking disco balls in the sun, they didn't _burn. _ I knew a vampire bite was all it took to turn you, yet I read all kinds of stories of people called fangbangers - people who let vampires feed from them and they never turned. I absentmindedly traced a finger over the scar on my wrist as my thoughts kept firing off one after the other. The bite didn't cause these _fangbangers _excruciating pain from the venom coursing through_ their_ veins.

After a few hours of dancing it was clear that despite the exciting start, the evening was turning out to be just what Danni and I had feared. We stayed for both full sets that the band played, and no vampires were actually hanging out at Fangtasia. It seemed the only people we met were either curious tourists like us or so-called fangbangers. Even the bartender had been human. But, of course the night wasn't a complete waste – we did meet the female vamp checking ID's.

The vamp with the _soft_, flesh-like skin. And now that I had actually met another vampire and _touched_ one, the most tangible contradiction was now plaguing my thoughts – the _Cullens_ were definitely not _soft. _ Their bodies were hard as stone. Everything I thought I knew about vampires seemed to be completely wrong, and if that was the case, then what in the hell _were_ they? And James, Victoria, Laurent? If not vampires, what were _they_?

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><p><strong>End Notes:<strong>

_**I know, I know. CH 1 and the only SVM character Bella meets so far is Pam. Turns out Bella will be back in Fangtasia in CH 2, where she will meet another Sookie-verse character. This chapter ran a little longer than I had planned, and I'm hoping for the chapters to stay on the shorter side and get updated more frequently because of it. Let me know if you like it so far. I know not much happened in CH 1 to be enthused about – but hang in there … once she meets more SVM characters, it should get a little more exciting (I hope).**_


	3. Chapter 2

_**A/N:**_

_**I apologize for taking so long with this update. Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of the story alerts, favorites, and those that reviewed! So glad people are interested in reading this little cross-fic! (I encourage anyone to start one of their own – there really just aren't enough cross-fics out there!)**_

_**So, as a real chapter note – have to throw out another apology. This chapter is a little more with the introductions and story set up, and not so much with the good stuff... :( BUT... we're getting warmer :)**_

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><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

"I can't believe you're missing a chance to go back there!" Danni whined at me for the millionth time.

It wasn't like I had a choice. There was an unexpected issue that came up with my scholarship - as in - I wasn't getting as much as I thought.

"Danni, I told you. I want to go. Believe me. But until I find a part-time job, I'm not even sure I have enough money to stay in school, let alone have enough left over for going out."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry. I don't mean to make it worse on you, it's just, I don't have anyone else to go with, and I really wanted to see The Rolling Bones!"

I felt for Danni, I really did. But I had bigger worries than missing out on a vampire cover band. I didn't want to tell my Dad about the new financial situation. I knew if I told him my award amount had been unexpectedly decreased, he would use any tactic he could to get me to come home, and I wasn't sure what excuse I could possibly give him for staying under the circumstances.

But right now, I really wanted to be alone to think of a solution and didn't want Danni to suffer with me any longer than necessary.

"I actually heard some of the girls down the hall talking about wanting to go out tonight, but not knowing where to go. Maybe if you catch up with them before dinner you could try and convince them to go to Fangtasia with you." I offered.

I knew Danni was more shy than I was, which was saying something, but I hoped she'd take my advice and figure out a way to have fun without me.

To my relief, she agreed with my idea and before taking off, Danni suggested I check the community boards on campus for any possible part-time positions open to students.

That sounded like a perfect idea to me.

* * *

><p>"Sorry Ms. Swan. We filled all of our available positions at the start of the semester. You might want to come in and try us again in January, sometimes we have a few spots that open up at the start of the Spring semester." Ms. Flowers politely informed me over the phone.<p>

"Thanks, but I can't wait until January. If I don't find something by the end of the week, I may not even make it through October." I gave her a disheartened good-bye and threw my phone down on my bed.

Ms. Flowers had been the eleventh disappointing call I had made since returning to my room from trekking around campus – from the cafeteria to the library – in search of help wanted ads. In between calls, I had uploaded my resume to more websites than I could count, and now I was forced to play the waiting game, a game I was not fond of nor particularly good at.

Feeling immensely frustrated, I decided to take a nice hot shower and call it an early night.

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><p>Beep. Beep. Beep.<p>

My brain gradually recognized the outside noise pushing through my sleepy haze. I reached across my body, blindly searching for my phone to silence the alert. I let out a sigh and slowly opened my eyes to see why my phone was yelling at me. Three missed calls. No voice mails. _Awesome._

I scrolled through the call history, briefly worried that it may have been Danni needing a ride home, but was relieved to see that all three calls came from the same number and was one I didn't recognize. While debating on whether or not to call the number back at ten o'clock at night, whoever was at the other end of that number decided for me as my phone began ringing again, their number flashing on my caller ID.

I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding and answered with a quick, "Hello?"

"Ms. Swan?" a female voice drawled out.

"Yes?"

"Ms. Isabella Swan?" she questioned further.

I impatiently confirmed my identity again and followed it with a clip, "Can I help you?"

"No, Ms. Swan, I'm calling to help _you_. I understand you are in need of employment?"

"Um, yes, I am. I'm sorry, I missed your name? Did I send my resume to your company?" I was confused as to why she hadn't yet introduced herself.

"We met last Friday night. My name is Pam. If you are in fact looking for work, Fangtasia has a position that has suddenly opened right up." she lazily drawled her words out again and I almost wondered if she was bored.

"I'll take it." The words tumbled out of my mouth before I could control them, despite my mind going into overdrive with all the questions I had about this entire call.

"Not so fast. We need you to be interviewed first. If you pass the initial interview, you'll meet with the owner to go over what will be required of you if you're hired."

Before I had a chance to ask her one of the many questions I still had, she didn't miss a beat before continuing.

"Unfortunately, we're on a time constraint. Now, I understand you have classes during the day, but the person you're interviewing with has a very narrow window of availability tomorrow evening. You need to be able to meet her in Bon Temps at three o'clock sharp. The place is called Merlotte's, you can find the address online. It's a tiny local_ hole_, so no need to concern yourself with a particular dress code. And Ms. Swan? Don't be late." Click.

I sat for a long moment, staring at my phone, unable to speak. I tried to snap my mind back and focus on everything she said, trying to determine if she really said anything at all.

I quickly wrote down what little information she did give to me before collapsing back down on my bed. I almost started laughing as I envisioned a large thought balloon looming over my head, filled with all of the unanswered questions of the call.

How did she get my number? How did she know I was looking for a job? What was the job? What did a bar in a town called Bon Temps have to do with Fangtasia? Who was I meeting at Merlotte's?

It occurred to me that Pam hadn't even provided me with a name of the person I was to meet at the local hole, as she called it. I knew Pam was the bouncer that had carded Danni and I, but that little bit of information only led to more questions. Who was the owner? And even with all the other questions answered, why on earth would he or she decide they wanted to hire me, never having met me?

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><p>I pulled into the Merlotte's parking lot at precisely 2:35 p.m. Had I been in Forks for this interview, I would have stayed out in my car until it was a little closer to the appointment time, but the Louisiana heat – even in the fall – left me little choice but to go in early.<p>

Walking in, I could instantly see why Pam would call it a_ local hole_. Though, in fairness, I wasn't sure it should be a surprise for a few locals to be the only patrons on a Friday afternoon after the lunch rush and before it was time for dinner. I stood at the hostess stand for a few more seconds before a woman sitting at the bar turned around to look at me.

Slurring her words, she yelled, "Sugar, 'round here this time a day, there ain't no hostessin'. You just g'on an' sit yourself."

A few people sitting at a far end table just nodded in agreement without comment.

Knowing I was early, and still having no idea who it was I was supposed to meet, I decided on an empty booth near the door. After what felt like a solid ten minutes of just sitting alone in the booth, a scruffy looking man with sandy-colored hair walked out of the kitchen and behind the bar. I silently watched him as he spent several minutes taking inventory of his liquor bottles. When he finally looked up and noticed my presence, he dropped his pencil and paper and offered a somewhat confused smile.

Walking over to my booth, he called out to presumably everyone else in the bar, "Hey, y'all, why didn't you tell me I had a customer?"

He didn't waste time with the grumblings coming from everyone and instead directed his next words to me as he handed me a menu.

"I'm sorry, have you been waiting here long?"

He looked, nice, for lack of a better word. A little on the shaggy side, but in a way that wasn't off-putting at all. I could tell immediately he was the kind of guy that made you feel comfortable just from a simple smile.

"It's fine, really. I haven't been waiting long." I smiled up at him, immediately realizing my mistake as the flush of my cheeks surely gave away how attractive I thought he was.

"Well, I'm sorry for the wait. I'm Sam, the owner of this fine establishment you've stumbled onto. This is my slow time, and I have a waitress out sick, but usually we're a little quicker at greeting new faces around here. What can I get ya to drink?"

It may have been the easiness in his voice and demeanor, but something about this man made me think he would be the right person to ask about who I was meeting. Or it could just be that I wanted to keep talking to him, knowing a conversation with him would calm my nerves.

"Um, actually, I'm not here to eat, though I guess I wouldn't mind a glass of water? But I could really use your help in figuring out who I'm supposed to be meeting here at three o'clock?"

When my statement mentioning the appointment time didn't receive a reaction from him, I immediately guessed he was not my interviewer.

"Well, chere, what exactly is it that you're meeting them for?" he asked with another easy smile and a hint of flirtation to his voice.

"An interview?" I offered with a hopeful raise of my eyebrows.

Recognition seemed to flood his eyes, and for a moment I felt relieved that he seemed to know why I was there.

Any relief I had was dispelled immediately as his words came out much harsher than I expected.

"I can see you aren't from around here. I don't know who it is you're meeting here, but I can assure you, if you're looking for a story, it isn't here. We're done with being gracious hosts to reporters."

Wait. What? He thought I was a reporter?

"No, I mean, um, I'm so sorry, I should have been more specific. I'm not a reporter. I'm here for a job interview?"

His expression only softened infinitesimally, but I was glad to see a hint of his smile back no matter how hesitant.

"Well, chere, as I mentioned, I'm the owner of this bar. If you had a job interview scheduled for today, I'm pretty sure I'd know about it. Since I don't know about it, my guess is that you're in the wrong place."

I tried not to grow frustrated, but my patience was waning. First, I get a call out of nowhere from a place I hadn't even applied to telling me they had a position open for me. When I tell them I would take the position, then they tell me I had to interview for it first. Once I agreed without knowing any other details, I'm asked to drive out in the middle of nowhere to meet a nameless person in a bar where no one has any idea who I am or what I'm doing there. What was I getting myself into?

"I'm sorry, again. It seems I'm still not communicating very effectively."

I closed my eyes as I recounted the absurd story of what brought me here.

"I received a call last night from a woman working at a Shreveport club - Fangtasia - that told me I was to come here at three p.m. sharp to interview for a position that opened up there. She didn't give me any names or really any other information, just that I was supposed to be here, at Merlotte's, at three p.m."

I once again met his eyes with a hopeful look, silently praying that I wasn't the butt of an elaborate practical joke.

Thankfully, his expression continued to soften, though now he was shaking his head in disapproval.

"Now what's a nice girl like you doing looking for a job at a place like that?"

My lips twitched, and I tried desperately to not smile at his presumption.

"How do you know I'm a nice girl?"

Shaking his head even more emphatically, his smile fully returned as he answered, "Well, now, I guess I don't, do I? Well, for your sake, I hope you don't get whatever job they're offering. And if it doesn't work out or you come to your senses and change your mind, come find me, I may be able to use you here for a couple of shifts a week if you've had restaurant experience."

I didn't have waitress experience, and the commute to Bon Temps would probably cost more than what I'd make in tips at the place, but he seemed nice enough and I thought it might be rude if I told him that.

"Thanks, I'll think about it."

"Alright. Well, I'll grab you a water while you wait. Sookie'll be on her way in shortly, that's who you're looking for. Perky blonde, hard to miss." and with that he walked back toward the kitchen and out of sight.

* * *

><p>"Hi, I'm Sookie."<p>

The perky blonde – spot on description from Sam – held out her hand as she slid into the seat across from mine.

I took her hand and introduced myself.

"I'm Bella Swan. You're the person interviewing me for the position at Fangtasia?"

"Is that what they told you?" She smiled openly at me, but the way she was looking at me made me wonder if this interview was just going to cause me to have more questions.

"Actually, I wasn't told much of anything. Pam just told me I had to pass an interview with you before interviewing with her boss."

She looked at me questioningly for a moment before speaking again.

"So what made you apply for a job at Fangtasia?"

I looked at her with an equally questioning look as I formed my answer.

"I didn't. Pam just called me out of nowhere for the position. She never even gave me a chance to ask her how she got my number before hanging up on me."

Another blank smile spread across Sookie's face as she listened to my answer.

"That sure sounds like Pam. Why did you agree to work at a place you didn't even apply to?"

The frustration I felt while talking to Sam seemed to return twofold.

"Because I need a job. Look, I was actually hoping you could tell me more about the position? Or maybe even tell me why they'd want me to fill it?"

Sookie looked at her watch and immediately scooted out of the booth. Implying her shift was about to start and our time was up.

"Oh I have no idea what Eric wants with you. But if you want my advice? You might want to make sure you know what you're getting yourself into before actually getting into it."

Despite her choice of words, her tone was more concerned and less hostile as she delivered her parting statement.

Before she had a chance to completely walk away, I spoke up, "I'm not sure what kind of interview this was, but, um, so what now?"

She looked back at me and with a tone and expression I couldn't quite read she said, "Well, I can't answer about a possible job, but what I can tell you is that I'm ninety-nine percent sure you'll be hearing from Eric very soon."

Walking back to my car, I had to laugh at the absolute absurdity of this entire experience. But even with so many questions left unanswered, some little voice inside my head was telling me that with the absurd phone call and two minute interview, I was finally getting a real taste of the reason I wanted to move here.

_**5 Hours Later …**_

For what felt like hours, I had been staring at my phone willing it to come to life. When I finally did get a call, it was just Danni begging me to leave the room and come eat with her. I wasn't sure why I was expecting a call so soon after talking with Sookie, but something in her voice when she said she was sure I would hear from Eric made it sound like I would be hearing from him tonight.

Just as I had grabbed my keys getting ready to head out of the door to meet Danni, my phone rang again. This time the caller ID had excitement replacing the disappointment I had felt all evening.

I tried to stay calm as I answered.

"Hello?"

"Ms. Swan. Congratulations, you've passed the first interview. Now, be here tonight at three o'clock sharp." the female voice I now recognized as Pam instructed.

"Wait, don't hang up!"

Not waiting a second, I kept going, "Where is "here" - do you mean Fangtasia this time? And three tonight? You mean 3 a.m.? _Tonight_?"

I exhaled the breath I was holding, no longer worried she had ended the call when she responded.

"Yes, _here_, is Fangtasia. Yes, three a.m. Yes,_ tonight_. Is there a problem?"

"No, I – "

"Good. See you tonight, Ms. Swan."

And with that, she hung up. How did these people know I was the kind of person that was curious enough to go through with these crazy demands?

* * *

><p>I pulled into the almost empty Fangtasia parking lot, this time only being ten minutes early. My nerves immediately spiked as I unsuccessfully searched for any signs of life. The Fangtasia exterior lights were off, and I felt my stomach instantly tighten. Not wanting to give myself a chance to chicken out, I hurriedly got out of the car and approached the main entrance. The door was locked, so I knocked as hard as my knuckles would allow on the steel door.<p>

A few minutes passed, and goose bumps pebbled on my skin as a chilly breeze circled past, lifting my hair slightly off my shoulder. Fighting the equally strong feelings of frustration and fear, I finally caved in to my emotions and began loudly banging on the metal door, willing someone inside to come and open it.

I finally got my wish when just a few moments later the door swung open. My eyes immediately focused on a sliver of exposed pale skin before realizing I was staring openly at the man who opened the door. My eyes slowly traveled up his torso, past his opened dress shirt and finally met his piercing blue gaze. I felt my breath catch as I watched him reach out his hand toward me. It took me another few seconds to realize I was expected to return the polite gesture.

Trying to pull myself together, I accepted his outstretched hand. As his cool hand wrapped tightly around mine, it only took another second to process that he was clearly a vampire. And yet again, I was immediately reminded of the absence of the stone-like texture of a vampire's skin. Before I could properly think about the phrasing of my question, I blurted out, "You're not hard?"

Realizing my blunder, my blush was unsurprisingly instantaneous. My horror only intensified as I watched him slowly lower his gaze to the zipper of his pants.

He leaned in toward me as he slowly brought his eyes back up to meet mine and replied with a smirk and a quick wink, "Not yet."

* * *

><p><em><strong>End Note:<strong>_

_**And so she meets Eric. And Sam and Sookie. But, she meets Eric. :)**_


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N:**

**Well, if I have any LC readers left, they might not be happy to see this story getting updated first – I'm sooo sorry! I left chapter 2 off in such a fun place, I just HAD to update this one first... LC is up on deck, I promise! As for updating … I really hope I update much faster now that the craziness of the holidays are over.**

**Quick shout out to those that have reviewed this story so far – I'm still amazed at the response this story has received and it is definitely encouraging me to continue, so thank you! I really will eventually get around to answering all signed responses!**

**Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

_He leaned in toward me as he slowly brought his eyes back up to meet mine and replied with a smirk and a quick wink, "Not yet."_

"Ms. Swan, I presume?" the ridiculously good-looking man asked with amusement in his voice.

"Y-yes." I shook my head in a useless attempt to get a hold of myself, and I immediately realized I probably looked confused, shaking my head in the negative while answering in the affirmative. Great. Not the best first impression to show my competence.

I took a deep breath, squared my shoulders, and steadied myself before meeting his cool blue eyes again.

"Yes. I'm Bella Swan. I'm here for the job interview, if the position is still available?"

How I managed to get all of that out while maintaining eye contact I'll never know. While certainly impressing myself, my sudden ability in articulation didn't seem to impress the man much.

His gaze lingered on me for a long moment before finally opening the door fully and stepping aside.

"Please, follow me."

As he turned his back and began walking away, I took another deep breath, and followed as instructed. My mind seemed to be on a continuous loop of both reassuring myself and convincing my feet to not betray me by turning right around and going back to my truck. But my curiosity in all of this kept me moving forward. We finally reached a door, I assumed to be his office, and he ushered me inside where I sat on a folded chair opposite from a huge dark cherry desk.

My nerves spiked as I heard the click of the lock as soon as the man had closed the door behind him. Before I had a chance to figure out the right way to voice my sudden discomfort, the man was suddenly sitting behind his desk in an oversized leather chair speaking to me.

"Ms. Swan, my name is Eric Northman, the owner of this establishment. I assume Pam has informed you of the details for the position?"

I suddenly felt a surge of annoyance overriding any anxiety I was feeling being locked in a room alone with a strange man in the middle of the night. I really wanted to tell him that Pam didn't exactly tell me _anything_ about the position, but then, wouldn't that make him wonder why on earth I had agreed to this meeting?

"No, not exactly. She said you were looking to fill a position and I had to pass a series of interviews before more details would become available. Look, Mr. Northman, I'm unexpectedly about to lose my scholarship money and desperately need a job. If you could tell me the specifics of the position, I'm sure I would be able to better tell you my qualifications."

I took a deep breath and waited, hoping I said the right thing. Thankfully, Mr. Northman didn't keep me in suspense for long.

"I apologize, Ms. Swan, that you were kept in the dark."

He looked down and it sounded like he muttered something under his breath before meeting my eyes and addressing me again.

"I'm looking for a new Day Person. This individual would essentially be a personal assistant, more or less."

"More or less?" I asked, hoping for more details.

"Yes, more or less. I'm looking for a new person to run errands that can only be taken care of during daylight hours, handle travel arrangements, assist with finding living arrangements for visiting associates, handling administrative tasks as I request them, so, again, a personal assistant, more or less."

I opened my mouth to ask one of the many questions coming to mind, but Mr. Northman kept talking before I could utter a word.

"The truth is even after describing the position to you in more detail, you still wouldn't be able to tell me what your qualifications are. Unfortunately, the most important qualifications are ones you can't put on a resume."

Again, he continued before I could ask what he was talking about.

"I require a particularly high amount of trust in the person I need for this position, and while trust certainly needs to be earned, in my business a person can never fully be trusted without having a certain and _extremely_ rare demonstrated ability. You're unique, Ms. Swan. Are you aware that vampires have the ability to glamour, and that you have proved immune to this?"

_Glamour._ I had read about the vampires' ability for mind manipulation, but I never really took it seriously. The vampires_ I_ knew had certain gifts, sure, but to my knowledge mind control was not a uniform trait among all of them. Like other things I thought I knew, this seemed to be just another one I was wrong about.

"I read something about the mind control ability. How do you know I'm immune?"

My curiosity in all of this was keeping me fairly level-headed, but as the gorgeous man stood up to his full height before walking around his desk and leaning down right in front of me, I wondered how long I could take being in the same room with him before my sputtering heart gave away my immense attraction to him.

He looked deep into my eyes, capturing my gaze with ease. His stare lingered longer than I thought I could handle, and just as I thought I would surely explode from the intensity, his voice snapped my focus back to the purpose of this experiment.

"Ms. Swan, I'm going to ask you a series of questions. You will answer yes to each of these questions with no exceptions. First, are you a virgin?"

"Wh-what?" I sputtered.

Mr. Northman stood up abruptly and lowered his eyes to me in a completely smug and satisfied expression.

"You see, Ms. Swan? With my age and abilities the only word you should've been able to allow pass your lips was 'yes' even if that _wasn't_ the correct answer."

I tried to focus on the result of the experiment instead of replaying his question and his incorrect assumption about my answer, I really did try. But how inappropriate was all of this? Was I really this desperate to get back into the supernatural world? Did I really care about having to go back to Forks and putting school off for another year while I saved more money? I wanted to chastise myself for my next thought as it came to me. Did school really factor into my decision at all? The truth was I cared more about not going back to Forks and getting a door reopened to this world than I could ever care about school. School was just my excuse to be here. But if I was going to walk back into this life, I had to try to keep some sort of boundaries.

"Mr. Northman, I understand how my ability to fend off _glamouring_ could be considered an asset, but I'm not sure how important that would be if I'm a 'Day Person' – wouldn't that imply that while I'm on duty, vampires wouldn't exactly be an issue?"

"You surprise me, Ms. Swan. And believe me, that's a compliment I rarely give to a human. You're correct in your assumptions, my Day Person would be relatively safe from most vampire interactions. However, the day position is only temporary as you build your _resume_, so to speak. We spoke of trust earlier. You already have the demonstrated ability, but the rest still needs earned."

"And once I've earned it?" I probed him.

"Yes, well, earn it first Ms. Swan, and then we'll talk further."

"Please, call me Bella. And before I start working on earning your trust, we need to discuss a few requirements I have before considering this position further."

My inner seventeen year old self was extremely proud of my ability to not walk into this job blind, even though my twenty year old self reminded her I had done exactly that by even coming here tonight.

"Okay, Bella. What are your requirements?" he asked.

"Well, first, trust goes two ways, Mr. Northman. I believe I've demonstrated my willingness to trust you enough to remain locked in this room with you alone in a deserted bar in the middle of the night. I trusted you enough to allow your attempt to glamour me, even though I wasn't completely convinced as you were of my resistance to it. But I need to trust _you_ as well, and I especially need to trust in your commitment to keep me safe while doing your bidding, or at the very least, trust that you'll give me the tools to make sure I can keep myself safe."

He looked at me curiously with what I could have sworn was a twinkle in his eyes and a smirk trying to play on his lips.

"I'm surprised by you yet again, Bella, and twice in one night! I would have expected you to ask about compensation, hours, benefits, maybe even a question about whether my requirements would ever delve into the more _physical_ in nature, but no, you ask of trust."

He looked thoughtfully at the ceiling and said something in a language I didn't recognize before locking his beautiful blues back on me. I tried not to focus on his comment about physical requirements and forced myself instead to look as if I completely had missed that remark.

"Trust is earned, Bella. I will have to earn yours as you earn mine. I can not guarantee your safety during the day for obvious reasons. I will not jeopardize you further by disclosing your immunity to anyone else. Pam and I are the only ones aware of your resistance, and I'll see to it that it stays that way. You're an incredibly rare asset to be in my employ, and I do hope you understand that with that level of importance comes a certainty that I will protect you as much as I possibly can during my hours awake. But as I can't be everywhere, I will honor your request to give you tools to aid in your own self-preservation. And please, call me Eric."

And with that, he came around his desk again, and spoke as he rolled up the sleeve of his dress shirt.

"From the little information Pam gained from your roommate, I understand you have had limited interactions, if any, with vampires before visiting my bar last week."

It was a statement, not a question, so I chose for now not to answer.

"Do you know what a blood exchange is?"

I looked up at him with wide eyes. Not trusting my voice, I simply shook my head.

"A blood exchange will allow me to sense when you may need my help. It's not nearly as strong as a blood bond, I won't be able to feel every emotion of yours, and vice versa, but I will be able to sense when you feel threatened, and will be able to detect your location. Do you consent to the blood exchange?"

I swallowed. I wasn't nearly as bad with blood as I used to be, but, this didn't sound exactly pleasant.

"What exactly would I need to do?"

"Nothing invasive. You would need to allow me to drink from you, while you drink from me."

I envisioned us linking our arms in a romantic pretzel of arms while holding champagne flutes full of blood as we attempted to drink from our own glass like they do at weddings. Before my gag reflex could kick in, I shook the thought out of my mind.

"Are there any side effects?"

I involuntarily shuddered as the question left my lips. It was hard not to think of the venom. The scar just above my wrist would always serve as a glaring reminder of just how dangerous and unbelievably painful it could be to get involved with vampires, and especially of mixing bodily fluids with them.

"Believe me, none of the possible side effects are unpleasant and certainly none are harmful."

I couldn't explain it if I wanted to, but something inside me was already trusting him, whether I wanted to or not.

I took a deep breath. "Okay."

Without a second hesitation, perhaps to prevent me from changing my mind, he bit his wrist and then quickly put his arm to my lips while gently holding the back of my head to his arm with his other hand. I decided to quickly get it over with and wrapped my lips around his open wound. As soon as his blood hit my tongue, I thought for sure my mouth would burst in a delicious explosion of need. As I continued to suck from his arm, I was vaguely aware of my arm being pulled away from my body and my sleeve being pushed up. To my disappointment, the blood flow ebbed to a mere trickle as the punctures Eric made to his arm began closing.

Concentrating on lapping up every last drop I could, I barely noticed the piercing sting as Eric's fangs sank into my wrist, coincidentally very close to the spot of my _other_ vampire bite. After reluctantly pulling my mouth away, I looked over at Eric, kneeling beside me, his eyes closed, while he drank from my outstretched arm. While I watched in complete fascination, he moaned, actually _moaned_, as he slowly pulled his lips from my wrist. It was by far the most erotic thing I had ever had the pleasure of witnessing. The heat spreading like a rash all over my body and especially between my legs was more than enough to distract me from thinking about what I had just done, but then I felt his eyes linger on my arm and I immediately stiffened.

He lightly fingered the icy scar now within just an inch of my new puncture wounds. The action immediately sobered my thoughts as I anxiously waited for him to put together a piece of my past.

"This" - he tapped my scar while meeting my eyes - "is something we'll talk about soon."

I nodded in assent, knowing if I took this position, as I knew I was going to, the time for me to talk about _them_ would inevitably come sooner rather than later.

With a quick glance of his watch, he stood up and opened his office door.

"I'll be in touch. Please keep your phone on at all times after sunset. And please use discretion when speaking about our meeting."

With that statement, he brushed his thumb across my lips, presumably to wipe away any drops of blood I missed, and I immediately understood that he wanted the blood exchange to be kept a secret.

"Of course." I honestly couldn't think of anything else to say.

He didn't seem to have a need to say anything else either, and instead walked me out of his office and bar and continued – to my surprise – out to the parking lot, escorting me the entire way to my truck.

"Until next time, Bella."

He closed my driver side door after I got settled behind the wheel, and with a playful smile he winked before launching in the air. Literally. Flying. In the air. _Flying?_

I rolled down my window and stuck my head out of the truck, squinting up into the night to try and see if he turned into a bat as well. But by that point he was long gone.

And suddenly, I felt a burst of insane giddiness at just how ridiculously exciting this entire night had been.


	5. Chapter 4

_I hurried into Fangtasia, hoping to find out there was some kind of vampire holiday I was unaware of to explain for the abandoned parking lot and darkened bar. Walking back toward Eric's office, I noticed a light filtering out from under his door, and felt somewhat relieved to think at least he was here. I tentatively knocked on the door, not wanting to interrupt anything he may be doing behind the closed door. _

_The door slowly opened and I found myself facing my shirtless boss. He didn't speak, but motioned for me to come into his office. I felt an embarrassing heat creep across my flesh and knew my rapid heartbeat would soon give my attraction away. I cleared my throat, not wanting Eric to have a reason to think I was unprofessional, and turned toward him with the intention of asking him about the bar being closed. Before I had a chance to open my mouth, Eric walked closer toward me, reaching behind me to close the door and lock it. I let my eyes follow his hands and swallowed a lump forming in my throat at his actions. My eyes still transfixed on his hand that locked the door, I watched in mesmerizing silence as he brought his hand to my arm, and lightly squeezed it as I registered his voice asking for me to look at him. My eyes fluttered closed as I tried to resist the temptation. I knew as soon as I looked into his eyes, (or hell, who was I kidding, if I even looked at his bare chest!), I would be his in any way he wanted. Any hesitation I had in having a physical relationship with my boss would immediately go out the window. _

_I felt his hand travel up my arm to my shoulder, and I became suddenly aware of my head subconsciously tilting to the left as his hand continued traveling up to my neck. I heard him chuckle – he was laughing ? – at my reaction and I felt him lean down closer to me. His lips brushed against my exposed ear, tickling the area behind it as he whispered, "Thank you for the offer, Ms. Swan, but that's not what I'm after, not yet at least." My eyes opened at his words and my fears were realized as I looked into his eyes and felt myself leaning in to him, touching his bare chest, and heard myself begging him to kiss me, bite me, fuck me... any and all of the above. To my horror and delight he obeyed and lifted me up against him as I wrapped my legs around his waist. He walked backward toward his desk and sat me down on top as I started working on his pants, wanting to shed him immediately of the offending article of clothing keeping me from seeing and touching all of him. In a matter of seconds I felt my clothes being ripped from my body and I let out a scream of anticipation as he knelt in front of me feeling his breath between my thighs..._

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

I shot out of bed and let out an exasperated moan. Another dream. Damn, this one felt so real! Yes, my boss was hot, but dear god these dreams were getting ridiculous! I had been having them every night since I first met Eric, and eight weeks later, they were just getting worse. Normally, I had been so glad to be awakened by the alarm clock. But this time, my body was flushed all over, heated, and I felt as though I really had been in the middle of a very passionate moment, and to make matters even more uncomfortable, I felt completely robbed of a much needed release. I looked around the room and felt relief at realizing Danni wasn't here to witness another sex dream, and just as I had decided to take matters into my own hands – literally – my phone rang with the ringtone I had grown to expect after waking up.

"Yes, I'm awake." I said as soon as I answered the call.

"I'm sensing you're a little frustrated about something Ms. Swan, anything I can be of assistance with?"

I had a feeling Eric knew I was having dreams about him. I couldn't be sure, but after I woke up from every single one of them I would get a phone call from him, and he always managed to ask if I was frustrated, confused, agitated, or tense in all the calls. Of course, I could be paranoid, but after working with him for two months I was starting to get familiar with his tones and had a feeling he was playing with me somehow. Maybe I could be glamored after all and he glamored me to lust after him. It didn't make sense though, knowing he was in a very confusing relationship with Sookie.

I answered him in my usual way of deflecting by asking him what my tasks were for the night.

"I need you to come to the bar right away. Your assignment has changed."

Just as Eric disconnected, Danni burst through the door.

"Bella, I'm so glad you're still here! My English class ran late and everyone on our floor is already out on the quad. Wait. You're not dressed. Please tell me you are still going to the social?"

I closed my eyes and slowly shook my head. I was really hoping to avoid another fight with Danni. Things have been a little … _tense_ … since I took on my new job.

"Bella, I'm worried about you. You don't have a life anymore. All you do is jump every time your phone rings, and you never put the damn phone down! You missed my birthday celebration, you flaked out on us at Halloween, you barely made time to call your Dad on Thanksgiving and now you're missing the biggest social event yet of our first year of college. What's going on with you?"

Well, how do you respond to that? The truth is, Danni was right about all of it. I _was_ attached to my phone. I had to be. It was part of my job requirement. I did miss Danni's birthday, though it wasn't really my fault since she planned it at the last minute for a night I had to work, and I didn't feel right about asking for a night off so soon after starting my job. And Halloween was definitely not my fault. I work for a vampire who owns the only vampire bar in Shreveport, didn't she think my boss would need all hands on deck on a night sort of dedicated to the freaks and geeks alike coming out to see his kind? And Thanksgiving, that wasn't even fair for her to bring it up, but she was right about my reluctance to talk to my Dad. Charlie had been asking me for over a month to come home for the holidays, and our conversations had become a little difficult to maintain when I broke the news that not only was I not coming home for Thanksgiving, but I was staying in Louisiana for Christmas too.

"Look, Danni, you don't understand. I need this job, I can't stay in school without it. And I..."

"You know what, Bella? Save it. You could've just got another loan like the rest of us, or asked your Dad for money if your financial aid package was really revoked. But you know what I find just a little weird? My friend that works in the administrative office said she's never heard of someone's financial aid package getting cut mid-semester. Isn't it a little convenient that you suddenly needed a job after our first visit to Fangtasia and our first encounter with a vampire? And that the same bar and same vampire mysteriously called you out of the blue for a job that you didn't even apply for?"

I admit, it sounded very far-fetched, but I'd hardly call losing financial aid convenient. I knew Danni had a point. But I felt so, I don't know, reawakened? Yes, reawakened by being in the vampire world again. I still hadn't told Danni about them, so I couldn't explain to her that whether it seemed convenient or not, this job offered exactly the opportunity that brought me to Louisiana in the first place.

"Danni, I know I've been preoccupied, and I know I haven't been around much. But I'm not going to apologize for wanting different experiences than you. Yes, this job is taking a lot of my time, and yes I am attached to my phone and seem to everyone else around here to not have a life away from work and school. But, that's just it, Danni, I wouldn't want to spend my free time any other way than how I am. Some people go to college and join fraternities and sororities, others try out for athletics, some join the military out of high school, and some people get jobs. No one experience is better than the other, they're just different, and as long as you are having the experience that you wanted by coming here, why does it matter to you that I'm having a different one?"

Danni barely looked at me through my entire rant, crossing her arms and looking out the window as I spoke. She reminded me of a pouting child and instead of continuing to argue, I decided there was no longer a point. Danni and I had gone down different paths, and I felt a little sad to realize our moment to become good friends had passed weeks ago.

"Look, I need to get ready for work, and you're gonna be late to the quad social. I'll see you later."

I grabbed my shower caddy and change of clothes and left the room before she had a chance to respond.

"Ms. Swan. Thank you for finally gracing us with your presence." Pam closed and locked the side door to the club as soon as I came in.

"Hello, Pam. Is Eric in his office?"

As usual, Pam just nodded and walked away, without saying another word.

I raised my fist to knock on the door but it swung open before I could make contact. Suddenly, I was face to face with Sookie.

"Oh, _great_. She's here." Sookie said in a tone that implied she didn't think it was great at all that I was here.

"Sookie, as I've explained, I need Bella to accompany me. I have already offered a spot for you as well, but as you keep reminding me, your loyalties are with the _dog_ and his bar and you can't afford to take anymore vacation time."

"Don't call Sam that. And it's my job, Eric, you know that. I've already taken time off enough this year and with Arlene gone, and waitresses scared to death to work there, I can't just bail on my shifts for two weeks!"

"Sookie, I have offered to pay for – "

"Don't say that again, Eric! I am not quitting my job, and I'm tired of having this argument! Just go. We'll talk about this when you get back."

The whole exchange between them had lasted for what seemed like only seconds before Sookie was storming past me, slamming Eric's office door, and presumably leaving the bar.

"Bella. Perfect timing. I need you to quickly make travel arrangements. It is imperative that we leave before dawn. Here is the itinerary, and please make sure to follow the directions explicitly for the accommodations."

Without a hint of acknowledgment for the argument he just had, Eric handed me a black folder as he spoke. Trying to process a two week trip with Eric by myself, I flipped open the folder and looked at him in disbelief.

"Eric, this is for a vampire summit in Romania. Romania?!"

"Is there a problem, Bella? I'm in no mood for problems."

"I have school. I can't just take off for two weeks if I want to pass my first semester of college, and, and … "

I was stammering. And, I was hesitating. I wanted to go. God, I wanted to go. _This was crazy_, wasn't it?

"Humans." Eric muttered before interrupting my train of thought. "Ms. Swan. I was very clear at your interview that once I trusted you, your job would evolve to be more than just a personal assistant. You have earned my trust, Bella. Breaking it now would be irrevocable. Accompanying me to the vampire summit is not optional if you'd like to remain my employee. Make your decision. You have five minutes before I am forced to make other arrangements and our working relationship is terminated."

I couldn't explain it if I wanted to, but before I could even take a breath I was agreeing to go with him.

"Excellent decision, Ms. Swan. Consider your time in college to be momentarily suspended. I will have Pam take care of withdrawing you from school and paying your tuition and dues in full for the semester, and I'll make sure she packs your belongings from the dormitory while we are gone."

And with that, Eric moved into full boss mode, making calls and giving Pam instructions for the bar while I sat at Eric's desk and made the necessary travel arrangements. Once everything was set, I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths to calm my nerves. Still reeling from the shock of Eric's announcement and ultimatum, I barely registered the slight change in the air as someone moved around in the office. But having developed slightly elevated senses over the past several weeks, I did recognize the feeling of a vampire's proximity Half expecting to see Eric staring at me as I opened my eyes, I was caught off guard as he began whispering in my ear.

"Bella, as this trip demonstrates my trust in you, I'd say it is time for you to show me the same."

His slender fingers slid down my arm and rested on my scarred wrist.

"The benefit of a long trip is having plenty of time for you to tell me all about this."

I involuntarily shuddered with a mixture of dread and relief at the thought of letting Eric in on all my secrets. It was _definitely_ going to be an interesting trip.


	6. Chapter 5

"_Bella," he whispered, "tell me your secrets." _

"_I can't," I let out a slow breath, trying hard not to cry, "it hurts to talk about it."_

"_What if I could make you feel incredibly good while you talked?"_

"_I don't know how that would," I gasped as I felt his cool hand slide up my shirt. "Wha – What are you doing?"_

"_I told you, Bella. You're going to tell me your secrets, and I'm going to make sure you feel good while you're doing it."_

"_I can't, I don't think this," again, my voice was lost as a moan escaped from my mouth in the place of words. Before I could register what happened, my jeans were puddled at my ankles and he was expertly maneuvering his hand between my underwear and skin. My back involuntarily arched as his fingers danced around my clit. "Oh god! Okay, I'll tell you everything, just don't stop!"_

"Bella."

"_Yes. I'll tell you what you want to know, just - "_

"BELLA."

"WHAT?" My eyes flew open and it only took a second to understand what happened. I looked down at my lap and saw my jeans perfectly in place, buttoned and zipped where they should be. I squirmed in my seat just to see if the dream had a real effect on me, and sure enough, I could feel the moisture between my legs. Great. Just great.

"Why did you let me fall asleep?" I asked my ridiculously gorgeous travel partner who was seated entirely too close to me.

"It's a long flight, and I need you alert and responsive when we get there. Politics will be played and often companions of those in attendance are looked at as targets if they show any vulnerability."

"And you're just now mentioning this?"

"Relax, Bella. As long as you do what I say and pay attention to even my unspoken commands, I'll make sure you stay safe."

Unspoken commands. This was something that Eric had been experimenting with me as of late, and suddenly I felt a little like the Karate Kid after realizing that "wax on, wax off" were really Mr. Miagi's way of teaching the kid how to block punches.

"What if I don't recognize one of your commands?"

"I'll make them obvious. You'll have some added help with that anyway, but before we get into the expectations and what to look out for over the next couple of weeks, you have some explaining to do. I've respected your privacy, but I'm afraid that scar may not go unnoticed, and I need to know the details so I can prepare us for any possible _issues._"

I let what he said sink in. The scar may not go unnoticed. Unnoticed by whom? Vampires like him, or vampires like _them?_ Did this vampire summit attract all kinds of vampires or just Eric's kind? Why on earth didn't I think of this before I agreed to come? I felt the panic rising from the bile making its way up against gravity, and shot up out of my seat, sprinting to the bathroom to unload everything in my stomach. I heaved and heaved over the small toilet until all I had left were tears and an empty stomach. What if the Volturi came to this thing? What if _they_ came to this thing? Oh god, what if I had to see them again? I wanted a ticket back into their world, but not back with them. I didn't want to see them. I didn't want to see them. I couldn't see them. I wasn't ready. I was never going to be ready. I didn't want to see them.

Bella. Please open the door.

I didn't hear him, but I _felt_ him ask. I reached up and unlocked the latch, but stayed where I was, crouched in a ball in the small space next to the toilet. I didn't look at him when he opened the door. I hated anyone seeing me like this. This was exactly why I had no friends when _they_ left Forks. The effect they had on me was too embarrassing to let others witness.

"Bella, come." Eric reached down and lifted me up, holding my hand as he led us back to our seats. It was the first time I was glad to be on a private plane with just him and a few flight crew members that were thankfully not around at the moment.

"Do you know why I chose to charter this jet instead of flying in the daytime by VampAir, in one of their specialized pods?"

I shook my head. I had no idea why we were flying at night and set to arrive just before sunrise. It honestly had made no sense to me.

"Because I feel vulnerable flying that way. I'm at the mercy of a company that promises to keep me in a light-tight safe box and there is little I can do if something were to happen to me in that state, especially if I'm exposed to sunlight. Trust is very hard for me to give to strangers, even strangers working for a company that hundreds of vampires swear by."

"But I trust you, Bella. You will see just how deep that trust runs over the next two weeks. I need you to have the same trust in me. Whatever it is that you're afraid of, just tell me, so we can deal with it. Together."

Eric had softened his voice for my benefit and the calm cadence he used to speak had worked to smooth my nerves. And I knew he was sincere, I could feel it, though I couldn't quite explain it.

"It was much easier telling you everything in my dream." I probably shouldn't have said it. But, he was still holding my hand, rubbing his thumb comfortingly across the back of my hand, and I don't know, somehow my inhibitions fell away a little, probably from feeling so exposed at allowing Eric to witness a Cullen-driven anxiety attack.

"Why is that? Because we were having sex while you talked?" He was laughing. Damn it. He _knew._ I could see it in his eyes, he knew about it all along. He _was_ playing with me!

"How? You, you made me have them didn't you?"

"No. I didn't make you have sex dreams about me, Bella, but I'm very flattered that my dream alter ego was able to satisfy you so well." And, he was _still_ laughing.

"I knew you knew about them. I didn't know how or why, but every time I woke up from one of the dreams it was because you were calling me right before I..." My mouth slammed shut. I didn't want to finish that sentence. I stared at him in disbelief as I put it all together.

"You could _see_ the dream? You always called me on purpose, right before -"

"It was about to get good?" He nodded smugly. "I couldn't very well let my dream self have all the fun." He leaned down and tickled my ear with his breath whispering, "No dream in the world could compare to the orgasm you'd have with the real me. It would be a shame to let you experience the inadequacy your mind is only capable of, compared to the reality of what _I'm_ capable of."

And that was it folks. Panties. Were. Ruined.

"I'm going to try really hard to put this conversation out of my mind for several reasons, but mostly because, one, you're with Sookie, and two, you're my boss. Now, are you going to explain why you can know what I'm dreaming and why I'm dreaming about you in the first place?"

"In time, Bella. Don't worry, we'll have plenty of that during this trip. I will tell you all about the erotic side effect of blood exchanges and why they are necessary, but first, I think I've sufficiently distracted and _relaxed_ you enough. Please tell me what I want to know."

I nodded. He was right. He had been very patient with me all these weeks, never asking about it, hoping I would be willing to tell him myself in time. I wanted to on several occasions, but at the same time, I didn't want that experience to tarnish the one I was having. Because if I was going to be honest with myself, I felt so much stronger and freer in this world with Eric than I ever did with Edward and the Cullens. I knew a part of that was because they weren't out of the coffin, so to speak, but it was more than that. Edward, despite everything that had happened, had held back with me. He always played everything so safe. Eric was the polar opposite. And if I had the foresight to choose which world to play in back in High School, I would have chosen Eric's hands down.

It took just over an hour, but eventually I had told Eric all there was to know about my previous vampire experiences. He didn't ask many questions, only when I told him about the wolves and Laurent's death. He seemed curious about the Quileute pack, but I couldn't answer all of his questions. Jacob and I had been friendly, and I was eternally grateful for the pack for protecting me and all of Forks from Laurent and Victoria. But, wolves weren't the supernatural being I wanted to be around, and I think Jacob knew that. I told him about the dance studio and James. My birthday party and Jasper. The edge of the forest and Edward. The sheets over the furniture at their home, as if they had never lived there. Never existed. The unanswered emails from Alice. The missing radio in my truck from Emmett. The plane ticket from Carlisle and Esme I never got to use to visit my Mom before I lost her to a freak boating accident off the coast of Florida. I told Eric everything, in a voice that didn't sound like my own, as if I was retelling a story from someone else's life. I even went on to tell him about Charlie and saving up money to go to college, just to be close to somewhere I knew vampires were living out in the open. I told him about Danni and how she had been my first human friend since Angela, and that I was sad for having managed to mess that up.

"But," I finished, "I wouldn't trade any of the experiences or choices that brought me here. I feel more alive than I've felt in years. For the first time in a very long time, I'm excited about what the next day will bring. Danni was right about having my phone glued to me, but that's because I look forward to whatever you ask me to do. It's new. And somehow even the most mundane task, like making travel arrangements, you manage to make exciting. I feel at home working with you. Does that make sense at all?'

"It does make sense. I'm glad you finally trusted me to let me in on not just your past, but such personal thoughts you have right now. I feel a connection to you, Bella. One I noticed the first night I met you. A connection I can't quite explain and that I've only ever felt one other time in my thousand years."

"With Sookie?" I asked.

"No. With Pam."

Before I could ask him to explain about his connection to Pam, he started to explain the blood exchanges and why they affected me the way they did.

"You said there were no side effects."

"No, I said there were no _negative_ side effects. I'm pretty sure getting hot and bothered in your sleep doesn't quite count as a negative."

"Well, I'm glad you don't think so." I muttered. I certainly thought it was a negative, especially after learning he was preventing the dreams from finishing.

"Blood exchanges are just a prelude to a blood bond. Blood bonds are very significant in my world, and take supernatural intervention to break once created. We've exchanged blood once, Bella. Two more times and we'll be blood bound. This is irrevocable once completed. A vampire can only be blood bound to one human at a time. I'm telling you all of this, because I have a feeling the host will require a witnessed blood exchange between all of the attendees and their human companions, or servants, as he'll call you. Don't take offense to that, he's _old school_ so to speak."

"Who is 'he' and why would he want to witness a blood exchange?"

"His name is Nicolai. He's the Vampire Prince that presides over the Kings and Queens of various territories throughout the world. We have a Vampire Authority that governs our rules and regulations as a whole, but the Authority doesn't involve itself in the politics of the Royals. They could care less about territories and who claims to control them, as long as the Royal in control is playing by their rules. The Royals and the Authority have had their differences, but under most circumstances, have been harmonious. Until recently. If the Authority and the Royals continue to argue about who has the ultimate power in governing our race, there will be a war. Those that support the Authority will be recruited to dismantle the territories and Areas, and all the vampires that control them."

"Like you. As an Area Sheriff."

"Exactly. I may not agree with the Royals and all of their politics, and I don't agree with the games both sides play, but I am not a supporter of the Authority, either. This summit is being held under the guise of a wedding ceremony between the Prince and the Queen of Egypt, but the Royals know the Authority will try to send spies. That's where the blood exchanges come in. Humans can be glamored to do things against their will, but a vampire that has exchanged blood with a human can sense whether that human has been glamored by another vampire other than him or herself. Before entrance to the summit will be allowed, the attendees will have to prove their companions haven't been compromised by Authority spies. This will likely be done in two ways. The first, is the blood exchange, and the attendee will have to swear his companion is clean of foreign glamoring – meaning, he or she has been the only one to glamor them. The second way will be for the entrance guard to perform a glamor test once the human has proved to be clean. The guard will likely glamor the human in front of their _owner_, ensuring the human's obedience and understanding that nothing witnessed at the summit will be remembered or repeated."

"But Eric. I can't be glamored."

"And that, my dear Bella, is something that absolutely no one at this summit -or anywhere else, for that matter - can know. It is imperative that you do exactly as any vampire tells you to do if they are attempting to control you. Do you understand? I mean anything. If the guard tells you to hop on one foot, you do so immediately without question. If the guard tells you to strip in front of him, you will take your clothes off quickly and without hesitancy. This is very important, Bella. I promise, as long as you do exactly what I tell you to, no harm will come to you. I _will _protect you."

I simply nodded, as he got up to chat with the staff at the back of the plane.

I had seen him glamor a couple of the wait staff at Fangtasia before, so I knew what to expect. I still didn't understand why I was immune to it, but I was grateful it was Pam that had discovered it and only her and Eric knew about it. I glossed over the Cullens special powers when I was talking about my past, but I did let Eric know about Alice's visions and Edward's mind-reading. And since I was curious to see if it was related to glamoring, I told him Edward couldn't read my mind. He didn't seem surprised by that though, and I wished I knew why. Edward was never really able to answer that either. I guess in some ways, I really was just a freak of nature, and maybe it was just easier for them to accept without much more thought to it.

Eric came back holding two shot glasses. "Take these. We have a few hours left for our flight, and I meant what I said earlier, Bella. I need you well rested before we land. I need you to get some sleep."

I didn't know what was in the shot glasses, but I didn't care. I took them without complaint and laid back waiting for the alcohol to lull me into a sound sleep. I was still worried about what other vampires would be there, but I couldn't deny that I was excited too. And even though I knew Eric would do what he could to keep me safe, a part of me knew that the possible danger involved in being around him was what made me feel so alive. And I would deal with any vampires – even the Cullens – to keep that feeling.


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N:**

**I've had some great questions asked so far. I'll answer one for now: Eric's comment about Pam and his connection to Bella will be explained in time, but don't panic – Eric wouldn't be enjoying the dream game so much if he wasn't interested in getting to know Bella a little more intimately. Thank you for reading!**

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><p>We arrived in Romania with just enough time to get settled into the hotel in Arad. Registering at the front desk was uneventful, and I was relieved to get into my room and take a long hot shower. Letting the water heat up, I peeled the clothes off my body as quickly as I could. I don't know what it is about traveling, but no matter how clean I feel before getting on a flight, I always feel incredibly grimy by the time I've arrived at my destination.<p>

I closed my eyes and let the steam fill my lungs and the warmth of the water cascade down my back. I hadn't realized how much I missed and enjoyed being able to take a shower in the quiet confines of a bathroom with one shower and a door. If I had to pick just one thing I wouldn't miss about college life, community bathrooms and showers would certainly be at the top of the list. Not having to carry my shower caddy down the hall. Not having to worry about gossip loving girls talking in the shower stalls next to mine. Not feeling pressured in the mornings to rush in and out of the showers so everyone in the shower line could get in before they had to be at their respective morning classes. Not having to worry about the complete lack of privacy in every way possible.

"Bella. We need to talk –"

"JESUS! WHAT THE FUCKING HELL!?"

I grabbed my chest, not sure if I was trying to cover up or make sure my heart wasn't going to explode. My boss was standing in my bathroom with only the very opaque shower door standing between him and my very naked body. Damn it! I slowed my breathing, steadying my heartbeat back to normal while Eric unapologetically remained where he was.

"If you've recovered sufficiently, I would like to finish my sentence. We need to talk about the ground rules of your stay here before I'm out of commission – so to speak – once the sun rises. I don't have very long, so I do apologize for startling you, but if you don't mind, I prefer speaking to my employees face to face."

Did I hear amusement in his voice? Of course I did, because one thing I've learned quite well is that Eric absolutely finds enjoyment in my uneasiness.

"Fine. Can you hand me my towel?"

"Oh, Bella, there's no need to be shy. In my thousand years, there really isn't anything I haven't seen."

"And as true as that may seem to you, there are still things you haven't seen despite your age. One of which is my naked body. Towel. Please."

Hearing Eric chuckle had a conflicting effect on me. On the one hand, he could be incredibly irritating, especially in moments like these. On the other, I'd rather have the thousand year old vampire amused than annoyed, or worse, bored by me.

After all of my important parts were sufficiently covered, I stepped out of the shower wrapped in the towel, not completely oblivious to the looks of – desire? - that my boss was giving me.

"Ground rules?" I asked as I walked out into my room and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Yes. Simple. I have only one rule – you are not to leave this room during the day. I will come and get you in the evening as soon as I rise, and you will remain with me until it is time to return. I recommend you get plenty of rest and sleep during the day, as I'll need you working at 100% every evening."

"Eric, you can't be serious. This is the first time I've ever been out of the country. It's Romania! You can't expect me to not want to leave the confines of this room and explore a little? If all vampires have gone to ground during the day, what possible danger can I get in?"

"Bella, contrary to what you seem to believe, there are other dangers in the world than vampires. I can't protect you during the day. This isn't the safest place to go out and explore on your own when everything about you screams American tourist. Not to mention you don't speak the language here. It's dangerous, and this is not under negotiation, Ms. Swan."

Damn. I got the 'Ms. Swan' from him.

"Eric, there has to be some compromise. This summit, by your own admission, is expected to take at least two weeks. You can't expect me to stay here in this room for two whole weeks without ever leaving. How can I say I've been to Romania without ever seeing it? Unless you plan on chaining me to the bed, I don't see how you plan on keeping me in here during the day."

"Bella, as much as I'd love to entertain the idea of bondage with you, and as incredibly welcome the images that come to mind are, that's not really my thing."

I rolled my eyes. I had to. It was the only response I could give that would prevent me from blushing and giving away my true reaction to what he just said.

"Eric, please. Work with me."

"Fine. I'll compromise. I will find a suitable avenue for you to see some sights during the day under conditions I deem fit. But you need to give me a day or two to come up with someone I trust to keep you safe in my absence. In the meantime, please understand I am looking out for your best interests by demanding you stay in this room until I get you. Order all the room service you want, and,"

He walked over to the edge of the bed where I was sitting, stepping in close, letting his suit pants brush up against my bare legs. He looked down at me, running a finger along the side of my face.

"And order any in room movies that will keep you entertained."

The way he said 'entertained' caused a shiver down my spine. His finger trailed to the underside of my chin, tilting it up, while his other hand trailed down my arm. Grabbing my hand, he gently raised it to his lips, planting a cool kiss to the inside of my wrist.

"May I?"

Understanding what he wanted, I simply nodded my head. I hadn't experienced the feeling of him feeding on me without drinking his blood at the same time, and as he sank his fangs into my wrist, I was taken aback by how sensual it was. I thought the erotic side of the feeding was in the blood exchange, but with the first pull he took from my vein, I felt my legs involuntarily spread just a little. I let my head fall back as I let out a moan, trying desperately to hold back the orgasm I felt coming.

I felt Eric slow down the amount of blood he was pulling from me, and I let out an unintelligible mutter begging him to hurry up. He was enjoying my reaction too much, and I knew better than to think he would oblige. Instead, I suddenly felt cold air tease my body and realized that with vampiric speed, Eric had opened my towel, exposing my flesh. Not able to muster the will for a single plea to stop – knowing that this was exactly what I wanted – I simply whimpered hoping this time he would at least let my body feel the sublime bliss it had been denied each time I had dreamed of moments like this. Eric didn't disappoint.

He pulled the towel completely away from my body and lifted me with one arm, placing me in the middle of the bed. He slowly pulled his fangs from my wrist, licking the two holes with his cool tongue.

"Bella, please tell me to stop."

"I can't."

Those were the only two words I could have possibly responded with. I knew why he wanted me to stop him. I knew deep down that I probably should have, for so many reasons that were just not coming to mind in this moment.

Eric let out a low and hungry sounding growl as he rid himself of his clothes before I had a chance to change my mind.

His greedy mouth didn't let an inch of skin untouched, but it wasn't until his cool breath touched the inside of my thigh that my back arched, begging – needing – more. It was too much to take when his tongue finally found its target. I immediately attempted to clamp my hand over my mouth to keep from screaming, but Eric's hand was just as quick as he pulled my hand away.

"Don't. I want to hear you scream. The rooms are all soundproofed here, and no reason to feel shy."

I let out a cry I didn't realize I was suppressing at his words. Oh how badly I've wanted to just let go for so long. I had always dreamed of the moment when Edward stopped being gentle and would just give me what I wanted most – for him to take my virginity. It immediately occurred to me that Edward at least knew why he would need to hold back if we were together that way, and Eric didn't know I was a virgin. Another cry formed around my lips, but for an entirely different reason.

"Bella?"

Concern. Was that concern? Oh hell. Right now, give me sarcasm, flirtation, wit, even indifference – anything but concern!

"It's just, um. I need to, I need you to go slow. I'm, a, um..."

"Virgin?"

I didn't know how he knew. But I should have known he had figured that part out.

"The first night we met. I saw your reaction to that question when I was proving you couldn't be glamored. Yes, I've known. Are you telling me you want me to stop?"

I just shook my head.

"Good. Because it would have been very difficult for me to do that."

And with that, he pulled himself up, and in a motion so fast, plunged himself inside of me in the same moment he pierced his fangs deep into the flesh of my neck.

I opened my mouth to cry out, anticipating more than actually feeling any pain. The intense pleasure from Eric's feeding superseded any discomfort, and I was almost too distracted to notice right away that he was slowly moving inside of me. The feel of Eric pushing in and pulling out steadily felt better and better until my pelvis was matching his movement, trying to pull him deeper inside of me as he continued to take slow pulls from my neck.

With another impossibly fast movement, Eric flipped us over so I was lying on top of him. My inhibitions seemed to have mysteriously disappeared as I instinctively rolled my hips, pulled myself up, and pushed back down, relishing the feeling of the moment. I knew it had to be difficult for Eric to relinquish control – that was certainly not something he gave up willingly often – but I was grateful he let me figure out what felt good to me, what position of my hips brought on the greatest sensations, and most importantly, letting me focus on his ridiculously chiseled abs and chest and sinfully sexy face while I savored all of it.

Probably feeling I was close to a much needed (and may I say well deserved) release, Eric grabbed my ass and lifted me slightly off of him, allowing room for him to drive into me with such speed that every ounce of my bouncing body started to feel like jell-o. My throat started feeling raw as I let out scream after scream as Eric continued with his relentless jackhammer-like assault. I grabbed a hold of his forearms as the explosive orgasm ripped through my body. Shaking from the effects, I clutched his arms tight, not wanting to let go as I felt my very used womb pulsating around Eric's rock hard member.

I closed my eyes and collapsed next to Eric on the bed. I was too spent to process what just happened.

"Done already?"

I rolled over on my side to face Eric. It was quite remarkable how much time I spent fantasizing about his body without giving his face its proper due. His piercing blue eyes twinkled with intelligence, mischief, and something else I couldn't quite place. When I was a teen, I had compared Edward to a Greek god. Looking at Eric, really looking at him, that memory made me laugh.

"What's funny?"

Eric turned his head at the sound of my giggle, and I saw trickles of blood coming from his nose.

"Eric, you're bleeding!"

It was his turn to chuckle, "Yes, it's normal. Don't change the subject. Why were you laughing?"

"Normal?"

Eric's raised eyebrow prompted an exasperated sigh with my answer, "I was just thinking about Edward, and -"

Eric suddenly grabbed me, pulling me close and flipping me around so he was spooning me. I felt his breath on my neck as he leaned in and whispered, "Explain how this" – he grabbed my left leg, lifting it slightly and pushed himself deep inside me from behind – "could make you think of a mere boy?"

Well, he made a good point there. Damn, I was loving the feeling of his body being pressed against mine as he picked up speed, impaling me over and over from behind.

"I didn't mean it like that." My voice came out in a jagged mess, and instead of trying to actually explain myself, I decided to just shut up and enjoy the way Eric was proving how different from Edward he really was.

After Eric and I both had our second round of releases, I rolled on top of Eric, and looking him in the eyes, finally explained myself.

"I was laughing at myself. Well, laughing more at a memory of how silly I was as a teen living in Forks. I used to think that Edward was the most gorgeous guy I'd ever seen. I used to mentally compare him to what I imagined Adonis would have looked like. That thought made me laugh when I looked at you earlier because, well, of how wrong I was. The truth is, Edward was very cute and charming, both of which in a very boyish way. YOU, however -"

I grazed my lips across his chest before finishing my sentence, "are the most gorgeous MAN I've ever been with."

"Bella, by your own admission, I'm the ONLY man you've ever been with."

"Yes, and such a gorgeous opener. Can't wait to see where I go from here."

I tried to keep a straight face, but seeing Eric's reaction go from insulted to amused in a matter of seconds was just too much.

"I didn't know you had such a sense of humor."

"I don't remember saying anything meant to be funny."

I leaned in and kissed Eric before he could say anything back. As soon as I did it, I realized it was the first time our lips had actually met, and somehow that action in that second made me remember why being with Eric was probably a bad idea.

"Eric, I -"

"Don't. You'll have plenty of time to dwell on what you perceive to be human repercussions. For now, I really need to sleep, or the bleeds will just keep getting worse. And since I need you to be well rested, you can lay here next to me."

It suddenly dawned on me that this entire early morning tryst could have just been Eric's way of making sure I stayed put. As manipulative as that may have been, if that was in fact Eric's intent, I couldn't find it in me to be upset or disappointed. Eric was an opportunist and in his thousand years developed an uncanny ability to turn almost any situation in his favor. If sleeping with me was something he felt was in his best interest, then I guess we were even. I wanted to lose my virginity to a vampire long ago, and now I finally got what I wanted.


	8. Chapter 7

A/N:

This is a long chapter, so I apologize ahead of time for any typos or grammatical errors I failed to catch. More characters you may be familiar with are introduced in this chapter, hope you enjoy!

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><p>I tried really hard to not overthink my first morning in Romania, but waking up a few hours before sunset next to a Viking god, well, not overthinking was simply not an option. Adding the fact that Eric's arm was lying across my bare chest didn't help matters.<p>

I gently lifted his arm and crawled out of the bed. Beelining for the bathroom, I was relieved, well, to be able to _relieve_ myself while Eric was dead to the world. Doing my morning routine so late in the day was starting to feel more and more natural. I knew it wouldn't be long before I had given up the sun completely. Eric had started out wanting me to be his day person, but as the weeks had worn on as his employee, he regularly requested my presence in the evenings. Although the irregular schedule wreaked havoc on my sleep schedule, I wouldn't trade the chance to actually be around Eric for anything.

And as much as I had fantasized about tearing off his clothes over the past several weeks, I never imagined anything like that would actually happen. Ugh, and why, with every other possible thought I could have right now could I not get rid of the one thing in my head that could ruin my moment? One name kept circulating in my brain, despite my efforts to quiet it: Sookie.

How was I ever going to go back to Shreveport and see her? What if she came to Fangtasia and figured it out? I wasn't sure how, but Sookie just seemed to know things about people, things that I knew they would have liked to have kept secret. Her uncanny ability to read people was something that drew Eric to her in the beginning. That much I knew. She had started out dating another vampire and only got involved with Eric once she began working with him in some form or another.

Looking at my reflection in the bathroom mirror, I forced myself to refocus my thoughts toward something more important: my virginity. Or rather, my loss of it. I gently fingered the bite marks on my neck, smiling at the memory of the moment I got them. A part of me wished Eric's handy work would never heal - it could always be my reminder of my first time, and my own personal proof that it all actually happened.

Slowly scanning every inch of my body, I tried to see other signs - proof - that the sex had been real and not just a dream this time. I found another bite mark on the side of my breast, and couldn't actually remember at what point Eric had bit me there, though that bite looked more like an impression of all of his teeth, as if he hadn't used his fangs. My breasts both felt slightly tender as I cupped them, but I smiled - despite feeling a bit sore - at my reflection. My breasts had become a bit fuller since High School, and although I wasn't as voluptuous as Sookie, Eric didn't seem to mind. In fact, the tenderness was just a reminder at how much attention he spent on my breasts. Slowly moving my hands down my belly, I forced the comparisons out of my head. I may not look as hot as Sookie in a halter top, but a halter top wasn't really my style anyway. Besides, knowing how lanky and utterly boyish I looked and felt just a couple of years ago, I was happy with the way I looked now. And although nothing in my reflection screamed, "No longer a virgin!" I did feel more, I don't know, womanly?

"If I looked like you, I guess I'd stand in front of a mirror touching myself too." I jumped at the sound of Eric's voice from behind me.

"Stop doing that!"

I felt him come closer, and closed my eyes in anticipation as he pressed his chest into my back.

"Oh how I wish I had time to show you how I wouldn't stop touching you, but unfortunately," he spun me around so I was facing him, "we need to get moving."

"So what is on the agenda for tonight, anyway?" I asked while throwing on my gray dress pants and the first shirt I grabbed out of my suitcase - a pale pink button up - Pam had apparently hijacked my suitcase when I wasn't looking.

"Introductions. Several to people who will matter over the course of this trip and several people who won't. Your job tonight will be paying attention to the human companions and remembering which vampires they're tied to. Humans don't share the intense paranoia that vampires have, but they are more trusting of other humans than vampires. Depending on how this summit shakes out, there may be a need for you to try to get close to some of these humans for information."

I just nodded as Eric continued, "But, while I want you to pay attention to your surroundings, the most important thing tonight is for you to stay close to me at all times. It is imperative that every being - vampire or human - inside the compound understands that you are mine."

"That I'm yours?"

"Bella, please understand politics are going to be played, manipulations and deceptions will abound, and that leaves already paranoid vampires even more paranoid than normal. When vampires' defenses are up they're even more predatory than usual which makes you vulnerable. As long as it's clear that you've been claimed, especially by someone as old as me, you'll be relatively safe from the younger vamps determined to stake their claim on someone like you."

"Like me? I don't understand why you think I would be singled out?"

Eric touched the inside of my wrist. "Bella, you've been singled out before. Or have you already forgotten?"

No. That was something I would never forget. I just shook my head, not knowing how to respond. I asked Edward once if I was a freak. I fought the urge to ask Eric the same thing. Instead, I decided to try and find out what it was about me that put a spotlight on me to vampires.

"Eric, what do I taste like?"

His brow shot up as he answered, "That depends. Are we talking blood or ..." his eyes wandered down my body.

"Blood!" I blurted.

"Different." Eric stated matter-of-factly with no hint of intentions to elaborate.

With that short answer, Eric was back to business, reminding me of the instructions he had given me twice already as we left the room and headed down to the hotel lobby.

"Northman." I spun around at the sound of a deep voice bellowing Eric's name.

"John. Certainly not surprised to see you here. Officiating the ceremony for the Prince and Queen? Or here to meddle in matters best left to real men?" Eric asked.

"Funny, is that what you're calling yourself these days, a real man? Last time I checked, real men have a pulse and don't cheat on their wives."

"Well, if that's your definition then I guess you'll never know what being a real man is all about. I can't imagine there are many of your kind left in the world to marry. It seems you'll never be anything other than a big pussy, Quinn."

I was surprised to hear Eric use that kind of language with this man. Not that I didn't think Eric could take him on, but this guy wasn't exactly the kind of guy that looked to back down in a fight. With his broad shoulders and muscled body, it was hard to imagine him backing down from anything.

Suddenly the man Eric had identified as John - or was it Quinn? - threw his head back in laughter.

"Big pussy, nice one. Just remember the larger the cat, the bigger the claws." The two men seemed to have an unspoken understanding as John changed the subject to one I wasn't comfortable with at all.

"Seriously man, where's Sook?" John asked as he walked with us out of the lobby. "And who is she?"

I stayed quiet, wondering myself how Eric was going to introduce me.

"This is Bella, my assistant. Bella, this is John Quinn." John nodded in my direction, but didn't offer any further acknowledgement as he asked, "And Sookie?"

"Ms. Stackhouse, I imagine, is at the mangy dog's bar serving greasy charred animal flesh up to her oversized backwoods patrons as we speak."

"So, Sook and Merlotte, huh?" John asked.

"Hmm." was all Eric responded with.

Well that was a new development. Did he really mean that Sookie and him were over, and she was with Sam? Why didn't he tell me? Or was he just throwing this guy off the scent of an indiscretion on both our parts? I didn't have an opportunity to ask or continue to ponder any thoughts on the matter because we had finally arrived at our destination.

Not more than two blocks from the hotel stood what could only be described as a castle. The jagged shadows providing the backdrop for the scene in front of me let me know even in the darkness of night that the castle was built in extreme proximity to the Romanian mountain range.

Eric and John simply nodded at each other as the latter went on ahead, leaving Eric and I alone.

Eric turned to me and nodded toward the huge medieval looking doors. "Ready?"

I simply nodded, not trusting my voice. Truth is, I was terrified of what I would find behind those doors. Before I had the chance to chicken out, Eric was leading us into the expansive foyer. Inside the castle, the place was decorated exactly how I imagined it would be. Oversized velvet upholstered wooden chairs with exquisitely detailed carvings lined the long hall on either side. The hardwood floor had a red carpet running the length of the hall, and as we walked toward the end with dozens of other pairs and small groups surrounding us, all who seemed to know Eric and acknowledge him, I started to feel like I was on a date with a movie star at a Hollywood premiere.

As we approached the end of the hall, a line had formed with people being granted entrance into the great room one at a time. My grip on Eric's arm tightened as we got closer to the front of the line and the guard vetting guests came into view. Even from several feet away, the red eyes were unmistakable. I looked at Eric, and he just silently shook his head, reminding me silently not to panic.

Our turn came quicker than I would have liked, and adding to my discomfort, the guard's red eyes seemed to be trained on my neck as he spoke.

"Entrance for humans requires screening. Do you consent?" he asked Eric.

"I do." Eric replied.

"Names." the vampire asked.

"Eric Northman. Isabella Swan."

I watched the vampire closely as he simply nodded while jotting down our names on his clipboard. His long black hair contrasted heavily with his almost translucent skin. He was creepier than any vampire I'd seen, which was saying something.

"Status?"

"Personal property." Eric stated without a hint of hesitancy.

The vampire put down his clipboard and looked at us. He reached out to touch my hand, and it took everything in me to not flinch and pull back from him.

"So she is." the vampire said as he let go of my hand. What the hell was that about?

"However, the Prince requires an additional assurance from the human slaves. An obedience test, of sorts."

Oh hell. Please don't ask me to strip, please don't ask me to strip, please don't ask me to strip.

"And the test?" Eric asked.

"A blood exchange. Without assistance of pain inhibitors."

I had no idea what that meant, but I was pretty sure I wasn't going to be happy about it.

Eric turned to me, and without emotion, began giving me orders.

"Give me your arm. When I bite, you will endure the pain silently. Only when I've had enough blood to sate me sufficiently will you be allowed to drink from me. Do you understand?"

"Yes." I said as I offered my arm. I knew this was one of the moments Eric had been preparing me for and I was surprisingly comforted in his matter-of-fact tone.

That comfort was soon replaced with an intense surge of pain as Eric's fangs quickly sank into my wrist. I remembered my training and clamped my mouth shut, determined to not risk us both by disobeying and crying out in pain. Eric continued to take deep pulls from my wrist, and it wasn't lost on me that the creepy vampire was practically salivating as he watched blood escape past Eric's lips and trickle steadily down my arm.

"Perhaps, you wouldn't mind - " Eric pulled his fangs from my wrist in a blur and before the creepy vamp was allowed to finish his sentence, Eric cut him off.

"I do." Eric replied with both menace and hint of nonchalance in his voice, if that combination was possible.

The creepy vamp straightened his shoulders and seemed unfazed as he reminded Eric the requirements included an exchange.

Eric bit his wrist and held it to my mouth, putting his other hand on the back of my head and holding it against his arm. I drank eagerly from him, loving how every drop touching my tongue did wonders for taking away the pain I just experienced.

Once we finished the exchange to the satisfaction of the creepy vamp, into the great room we went. Chairs were lined in two sections almost completely filling the expansive room. It reminded me of a layout for an elaborate wedding where guests would sit on either the groom or bride side. At the front of the room there was a long platform with a podium in the center. The crowd inside seemed evenly mixed between females and males and I was surprised at how packed the place was. For a split second I had to question my sanity for voluntarily being in a huge ballroom with this many vampires, but whether it was sane or smart or not, standing next to Eric made me feel safe enough to not run from the room screaming.

After Eric extended pleasantries to a few vampires we went to take our seats, winding our way through the various circles of vampires that had formed at the back of the room. Eric had picked two chairs on the end of the far right section, close to a couple of vampires he seemed to have a history with. While he engaged in small talk, I let my eyes wander around the room. I tried to pay attention to human companions, but whether a person was a vampire or a human wasn't exactly always obvious. And sometimes humans looked more like vampires by the way they dressed than vampires did. One type of vampire though was much easier to spot, and thankfully, aside from the creepy gatekeeper, I didn't see any other red eyes in the room. Without realizing it, I let out a sigh of relief at that realization.

My breathing caught Eric's attention. "Relax," he whispered in my ear, "this will be the easy night. Stay close and quiet, and we'll be out of here soon."

Eric took my hand in his as the hall quieted down and all eyes turned toward the podium. A black haired man that was a little shorter than Eric and much less creepy than the gatekeeper, and who I assumed was also a vampire, walked to the podium and began speaking.

"We've all been brought here for the same reason. I'm honored to announce the arrangement of marriage between the Prince and the Queen of Egypt. In order to make this a traditional ceremony, we have asked you to gather here for help with the preparations. Tonight we'll be discussing daytime security for the Royals, and to do so, I'd like to invite a special guest to the podium -"

The vampire speaking didn't have to finish his sentence. The blond vampire walking to the podium was unmistakeable and I already knew his name.

I drew in my breath sharply causing the vampires around me to turn their heads in my direction just as the speaker announced, "Carlisle Cullen." It didn't take long for other people to turn their heads and suddenly I felt the room closing in and getting very small. I wanted to look down or at someone safe like Eric, but I couldn't move if I wanted to. My eyes were trained on the blond vampire I thought I'd never see again, and I was frozen in place as his eyes found mine.

"Bella?" from the distance it looked like he just mouthed my name instead of actually using his voice, but in a room full of vampires with ridiculous hearing, he might as well have shouted it.

"Bella," Eric nudged me and pulled on my arm while whispering in my ear, "we need to leave. Now."

The urgency in Eric's voice snapped me out of the frozen trance as my surroundings came back into focus. The room was loud with chatter and as eyes kept darting from me to Carlisle, I knew there was something wrong that I wasn't quite understanding. What I did understand was Eric yanking me out of my chair, picking me up, and running out of the room. How fast and how long Eric ran, I'll never know. I remember darkness and wind and a very strong earthy smell as I hung onto Eric with my eyes closed in concentration, trying desperately to understand what the hell just happened.

When Eric finally slowed down, I realized we were high in the mountains and out of range of all civilization, he stopped just outside of a cave.

"I hope you don't expect us to stay here tonight? Eric, what the hell is going on?"

"We can't go back to the hotel. They know your name, the vampire took both our names and it was clear to everyone you're mine. I need somewhere to go before the sun comes up. I have to call Pam."

With that, Eric pulled out his cell phone and quickly spoke to Pam in a different language. Once his call was made, he began explaining as quickly and as best as he could.

"Bella, you have to understand. There are few instances where the species of vampires intersect. It's clear that the Prince has a few of their kind under his employ, obviously for day protection, but that isn't common by any means. Cullen's attendance was meant to shock, and it did but for the wrong reasons. My kind now know that you have had some sort of a connection with their kind. We're a mistrusting breed enough as it is, and with humans that have been vetted to find out have close knowledge of a species of vampire that humans aren't supposed to know even exist – do you understand the severity of this?"

"No. I honestly don't understand. What does it matter what kind of vampire I've known? Other humans were in the room, so if they didn't know of their existence before, they were all being introduced to Carlisle tonight anyway."

"Bella, the different species of vampires are very distrusting of one another. The kind that the Cullens are – they are very secretive. The Volturi have spent centuries in ensuring their existence remains a secret. When the Authority made the decision for our kind to come out of the coffin, there were rumors of a possible war brewing. The Volturi felt our decision to come out exposed them in ways they weren't comfortable with. You can understand why, can't you? My kind of vampire can feed off a human without killing him. Their kind can't. Humans can tolerate our existence because they are drawn to the risk, the tempting danger of it possibly going too far. You see it at Fangtasia. There's no temptation with their kind, there's no going too far, there's just killing and dying with them. Yes, they were going to introduce Carlisle, but on their terms. The fact that you already knew him makes you look like a spy. They wouldn't have waited for an explanation. We had to get out of there. "

"Eric, don't take this as me defending them, but they aren't all like that, I mean, the part where you said they are just about killing and dying. Carlisle's not like that."

"I can tell he's different, and I know what you've told me. But when tensions are already high, no one else is going to think rationally. You heard the speaker, didn't you? Even after vetting everyone in that room, they still kept up the charade that this was about a damn wedding!"

"What was it about? Why invite Carlisle?"

"I would imagine they're trying to forge an alliance with Carlisle's coven and as many associates as he can get on his side. The rumors about the Volturi wanting to pick a fight with the Authority have been replaced lately by new rumblings of a very uneasy and new alliance. The Authority and the Royals are in the midst of a war of their own, and the Royals have reason to believe that the Authority are getting the Volturi on their side. It makes no sense since the Royals were the ones that wanted to keep us in the coffin to begin with, and part of the reason for this summit was to try to gather intelligence about the Volturi's motives. I would assume that was where Carlisle came in, as he isn't a part of the Volturi but has intimate knowledge of them."

"Eric, is Carlisle in danger? I mean, now that they think I'm a spy because I knew him?"

"No, Bella, I'm fine." I spun around at the sound of Carlisle's voice.

"How did - ?" I just looked from him to Eric, waiting for an explanation.

"Carlisle followed your scent." Eric stated matter of factly as he approached the first blond vampire I ever met.

"It seems introductions are uneccessary. I've heard a lot about you, Mr. Northman." Carlisle extended his hand to Eric, and after they shook on it, Carlisle turned to me.

"Bella, my dear Bella. It is certainly great to see you again, though I do wish it were under more civil circumstances." He looked around as he spoke, but I couldn't take my eyes off of him. I didn't know if I wanted to hug him or hit him. It only took me a second to realize which reaction would always win out with Carlisle.

I walked closer to him and opened my arms. He embraced me tightly but ever so gently in Carlisle's special way I remembered so well.

"I have to be honest, I wasn't sure I'd ever want to see any of you again. But, I'm really glad to see you Carlisle." I gave him a genuine smile. It was impossible to blame Carlisle for the actions of his family. And as much as I blamed all of them for disappearing, deep down I knew that I wouldn't have expected or wanted them to turn their backs on Edward, no matter what his reasons were for leaving me.

"I understand why you'd feel that way. Bella, I'm sorry for -"

"Don't." I cut Carlisle off, "please don't. I don't want you to apologize for him. I know now that you wouldn't have hurt me intentionally, it's not who you are and not in your nature. I always knew that, but knowing it and being able to feel it, it just, I think it took actually seeing you again to get me to understand that."

"As lovely as this reunion is, we need to head inside." Eric and Carlisle both instinctively reached out for my hand as we headed into the cavern, and I almost had to laugh at the situation. Here I had a whole roomful of vampires hunting me down for a reason I still didn't quite get, and I was walking into a dark cave just before dawn with two hot blond vampires. My life couldn't get more surreal.

Eric pulled me close to him as he started asking Carlisle questions.

"What were you going to talk about at the Summit?"

"Honestly, I'm not entirely sure. Jackson – the vampire that contacted me because I assumed I had history with the Volturi – didn't give an indication that there was going to be a speech I would need to give. I was told I was being invited because your Royals needed information and possibly support against the Volturi. I have no intention of waging a war and putting my family at risk, but the Volturi are dangerous and have powerful connections. I know what they're capable of, and if I can provide information that would stop a war before it starts, I'll do what I can. Right before I was brought into the hall, they asked me to fake a speech about my kind providing day security, I assumed it was because they suspected Authority spies in their midst."

"I thought the same. I thought the first night would be a little more informative, but it felt as though everyone in the room thought the person next to them was a spy. Made the situation that much more volatile when you said Bella's name."

"Yes, I apologize for that. I was just taken by surprise to see you there, Bella. I certainly have never wanted you to be in any kind of danger. I still think of you as part of my family."

I smiled at him again, but the smile didn't reach my eyes. I loved Carlisle, I really did. He had warmth and compassion that was hard to find in a human let alone a vampire. But, the truth was that I was relieved I never became a part of his family. If I had, I never would have met Eric.

"So what is the plan? We can't hide in a cave forever. Why is my knowing both of you so dangerous if they were willing to bring Carlisle in to form their own alliance with his kind anyway?"

"You make a good point, Bella, but as I've already stated, tensions are high and rationality is out the window. Everyone in that room suspected someone close to them was a spy, and it's extremely rare, actually it's completely unheard of, for a human to know about his kind and survive the encounter. The Volturi always wanted it that way. No witnesses to their existence."

Carlisle piped in, "Exactly. Our kind is just as suspicious. It's uncommon for covens to form because we generally don't trust too many of our kind either. But I think there was more to it than that. The reaction in the room almost felt, I don't know, like there was a target on her back even before I said her name."

Eric didn't reply to Carlisle's point and changed the subject instead, "We need to camp here until the sun goes down. We should be safe, the vampires won't want to come after us up here with Carlisle gone, they'll assume he has his coven close and they won't want to risk an ambush. Once the sun goes down, we'll fly home."

I just looked at Eric in complete disbelief. "Go home? They know our names! They know where our home is, Eric! Why wouldn't they go there looking for us?"

"There won't be any point for them to follow us home – we're leaving before the summit actually started, and it's very unlikely that anyone will choose to pick a fight with me on my home turf."

"Besides," Eric continued, "I'll have a plan by tomorrow to salvage this situation and put these events in our favor."

As Eric led us a little farther into the cave and far enough away from the oncoming sunrise, Carlisle put in his two cents.

"I think, Mr. Northman, it would be wise for me to leave with Bella as soon as the sun rises. I can get her to the safety of my family while your kind – and all the vampires looking for her – are out of commission for the day."

Before I had a chance to object to Carlisle's plan, Eric beat me to it.

"No. Ms. Swan's not leaving my side, and that's not up for negotiation. Besides, the Prince has your kind working for him and I wouldn't put it past him to have a few scouts looking for signs of either of you. We're safer staying here. Now, from what Bella has said about you, I would like to believe I can trust you. Can I trust you Cullen to not do anything to Bella while I'm down for the day, or do we need to fight this out now?"

Carlisle looked at me for a long time before sighing and shaking his head, "No, there's no need to fight. I can see Bella trusts you and she's carrying a look of determination that I've seen before. I know trying to remove her from this situation – even if I think that's what is in her best interest – would be a disastrous decision for everyone. Right, Bella?"

I smiled at Carlisle, "Right." It seemed this time history would not be repeating itself. I was glad to see that I wasn't the only one that could learn from my past.

As Eric settled into a corner, I looked to him and back at Carlisle trying to decide what to do. I had so many questions I wanted to ask Carlisle, but at the same time, Eric and I had just slept together for the first time less than 24 hours ago, and I wanted to talk to him too, but in private.

Without saying a word, Carlisle walked toward the entrance to the cave, intuitively giving me the space I needed to sit with Eric before he slept.

I wasn't entirely sure what I was going to say to Eric. There were so many questions circling my brain that it just felt overwhelming. Instead, I decided not to talk at all, and leaned down to kiss him.

Eric pulled me down on top of him while deepening the kiss. When his instincts told him I needed air, he broke the kiss and said in a husky voice, "I was wondering when you'd remember that you're mine."

I just cocked an eyebrow at him before laughing. Eric was such a smug ass, but he was a very sexy smug ass, and it was starting to get really hard to deny my feelings extended long past just attraction and lust.

"So what do you expect from me now that you've claimed me?" I playfully asked.

"Oh, I was thinking you could be my sexy concubine, my plaything to sate my every appetite." As he spoke, he unbuttoned my shirt, exposing my bra and bare stomach to the cool, damp air.

The way Eric's tongue was gliding up my stomach, ghosting past my breasts and focusing on my neck, well, he unhinged me, there was no other way to put it.

"You're going to be the death of me." I whispered as I threw my head back, exposing my neck to him, almost begging him to take a bite.

"Maybe, but not today. Right now I'm just going to make up for the pain I caused you at the summit." And with that, he sank his fangs into my flesh and my body exploded in a magnificent combination of tingling heat and electricity, a sensation that felt so erotic and blissful, it was all I could do from screaming out in ecstacy.

As Eric slowed the pulls he was taking from me, I started to come down from the high enough to speak. I wrapped my arms around Eric's muscled torso, and while he was taking his last draw from my neck, I leaned in and whispered in his ear, "As hot as it is to hear you talk about making me yours, I have news for you. I'm not that easy. If I'm going to be yours, you have to be mine as well."

With that, I playfully bit his neck, breaking the skin and taking just a small taste of him.

"Bella, no!" Eric flung me away from him while grabbing his neck. His eyes were like saucers as he looked at me, and I knew my expression probably mirrored his as I tried to understand what was happening. Before I could even ask Eric what was going on, I felt a rush of emotions. Lust, surprise, confusion, admiration, and many more I couldn't sort out.

"Eric?" was all I could say. A memory flashed in my mind of a conversation Eric and I had about blood exchanges. Oh god.

"Eric, did I, did we just -?" I couldn't finish the sentence, but then I didn't have to. I already had my answer just by reading his face, though he decided to voice it anyway.

"Yes, Bella. We're blood bound."


	9. Chapter 8

A/N: _A much shorter chapter than the one previous, but a necessary segue into the next part of the story. Hope you enjoy._

* * *

><p>"I really must apologize for putting you in this situation. Had I not been so shocked to see you in that room, I may have had the foresight to not vocalize my surprise."<p>

"It's okay, Carlisle. Honestly. I know you wouldn't intentionally hurt me."

"And yet..."

Carlisle's voice trailed off as his unfinished sentence lingered between us. I let out a sigh, not knowing how to respond, but knowing that I could reassure him a thousand times, and it wouldn't assuage the guilt he was carrying. We had been sitting together at the cave's opening since dawn, and as the sun rose higher in the sky, the beauty of the orange kissed mountain tops momentarily quieted the thoughts cycling through my head.

"It's beautiful."

Carlisle followed my line of sight and agreed before abruptly bringing me back to reality.

"Bella, do you understand the severity of a blood bond? As I understand it, they can't ever be broken, and -"

"That's not exactly true. Eric was blood bound to his ex-girlfriend and she broke the bond with the help of a witch."

"I see. That sounds promising. I know of a witch that may be able to help. We could go to her, if you'd be willing to let me help you."

"I appreciate that, Carlisle, I do. But, to be honest, I would really rather not talk about all of this right now. It's something I should really talk to Eric about once he's awake."

"Bella, I don't know how to say this, so I apologize if it comes across as, well, _parental_, but do you really think you can trust Eric? As I understand it, humans weren't allowed into the summit unless they were proven to be owned by their vampire companion."

I couldn't help but smile at him, "That's the second time you've used the phrase 'as I understand it.' You seem a little out of your element, Carlisle."

He just smiled and nodded. Watching his face, I started thinking how comical it was that I once saw him as another father figure. Looking at him now, I couldn't help but be reminded that him and Eric were pretty close in human age when they turned, though Eric was certainly much older than Carlisle in vampire terms. And that thought had me choking back a giggle before remembering that Carlisle basically accused me of being Eric's concubine.

I decided to let him off the hook for that one, considering the circumstances. "I know when you look at me, you see the seventeen year old you knew from Forks. But my life is very different now and I'm a different person. And to answer you, Eric does not own me, and I'm definitely not his slave. But I was well aware of what would be expected of me in order to get invited to this party."

"So what is your relationship with Eric?"

"I'm sorry, Carlisle, I know you have questions, and I know you feel protective and want to know what's going on with me right now, but the relationship question is one I need to table for now. A lot has happened in the past two days, and I really need to talk with Eric about everything before I can even wrap my head around what's going on. What I can tell you is that before I arrived in Romania, he was my boss. I was Eric's assistant, his 'Day Person' though those responsibilities have been growing to include more evening hours in recent weeks. And yes, I absolutely trust Eric."

"Why Louisiana?" Carlisle asked with a hint of amusement to the answer I just gave him.

"Saying it was far from Forks would be the easy answer. But to be honest, Shreveport was on the news a lot since vampires went public, and I wanted to be in the middle of it."

Carlisle mumbled something about not being surprised before he started telling me about the rest of the Cullens. I was surprised to learn that they were no longer all living together. Emmett and Rosalie had been living on Esme's island for the past year or so, and Alice and Jasper had been traveling throughout the entire Southern Hemisphere ever since they left Forks. Carlisle's voice became hesitant as he mentioned the last two Cullens.

"And Esme has been great, she's been doing a lot of volunteer work at a women's shelter near our home in New Hampshire, in between the time she spends with Edward. He's been with us for about six months or so, and he's doing better now since he's come home. Esme's been able to get him to feed regularly, and I think he's heading in the right direction."

I wasn't sure if Carlisle was being purposefully vague or if I was just failing to read between the lines. Either way, I wasn't in the right frame of mind to ask for details about my ex. Thankfully, I knew Carlisle wouldn't push the issue if I chose not to take his bait.

"It's kind of weird to imagine you guys not all together. Does everyone at least check in regularly?"

"Oh yes! The girls check in more often than the boys, but I guess that isn't too surprising. Rosalie and Emmett often take off for a year or so on what they call a honeymoon, though I can't even remember how many 'honeymoons' this one will make. Alice and Jasper until they went off on their own have been with us since Jasper came into our lives. But, it didn't surprise Esme or I when they expressed the need to go it alone for awhile. What with Alice feeling as if she was torn in two, and Jasper having to shoulder everyone's emotions on top of his own guilt. But Esme still holds onto the hope that her family will be whole again someday."

I knew by the look he was giving me that her hope somehow included me. I couldn't help the sadness creeping around my heart at knowing that Esme's wish would never come true, at least, not the part that included me.

"You said Jasper had to leave because of his guilt? I don't understand?"

But before Carlisle could explain, the pieces fell together in my head and I waved off my question and sighed in exasperation.

"It wasn't his fault." was all I could say.

"No, it wasn't. I know that. You know that. Deep down I think even Edward knew that. But it didn't prevent the tension. Edward could hear Jasper's thoughts, and Jasper could feel Edward's emotions. Rational thought took a backseat to their unspoken blame directed at each other and themselves for the fallout."

Anger soon suppressed all other emotions I was feeling during this reunion. I wanted to scream out into the afternoon sky all the insults and accusations racing through my mind if I thought for a second that the screams would somehow reach Edward's ears. He was the one to blame for tearing his family apart. For trashing our love. For forcing his family to abandon me, and breaking his own adoptive mother's heart in the process. Edward should have never blamed Jasper. The truth was, it was only Edward that refused to trust us. To trust me. He was the only one to blame for not allowing me to make my own decisions. For thinking he always knew better than those around him. The sad reality was that although Eric was by far the oldest of the two, it was Edward that insisted on living in the dark ages. And then, just as soon as the anger came, it was gone. Replaced by another emotion entirely: gratitude.

"Jasper shouldn't have had that burden placed on him. It's not fair for him to feel at fault for the suffering of his family, a family that took him in and that he loved and defended with his every being. I want you to know that if I get the opportunity, I'll make sure he knows that."

Carlisle just nodded, knowing I was sincere. The fact that he didn't try and defend Edward's actions or ask me to be as forgiving of him was telling. But silent on the subject or not, I felt compelled to explain my thoughts on Edward to him as well.

"I can't deny I'm still angry at him. I'm angry that he reduced me in his mind to a little girl that would just walk away unscathed if you all disappeared. As if my emotions and expressed love for not just him, but for all of you, were that of a silly child who would in time, move on, grow up, and forget all about that hurt. But today, in this moment, I feel more than just anger. I'm relieved. Had Edward not made the decision to leave when he did, I don't know that I would've ever had the strength to leave on my own. Maybe strength isn't the right word. I wouldn't have known it could be any other way with anyone else. I wouldn't have understood that with someone else, in a different place and time, I could be treated as an equal, I could make decisions and have my own opinions independent from those of the person I was with. And I know that he wouldn't have stifled that growth on purpose, but he would have nonetheless without being able to help it, because that's just who he is. So, in a way, as angry at him as I am, if I saw him again, I would probably want to thank him as much as punch him."

Carlisle just nodded again, at first not showing any sign of a reaction. But just as easily and steadily as the anger that had bubbled up inside of me, laughter was springing to life from Carlisle's mouth, despite his obvious efforts to strangle it. Finally, without a word, he let it loose.

"Why are you laughing?"

And suddenly I found myself in a fit of giggles as well. I don't know if it was the absolute absurdity of the moment, the day, the week, my life. Maybe it was just the ridiculous image of me breaking my hand on Edward's jaw that sent Carlisle over the edge. I didn't want to question it too much, the laughter after all was much preferred to the solemn conversation we had been in all morning. Just as quickly as the lighter moment started, it was interrupted by Carlisle's phone.

I watched with intensity as he flipped open his phone, wondering which Cullen it was on the other end.

"Alice." Carlisle answered into the phone, presumably for my benefit.

I watched with intent, wishing I had super vampire hearing to know what Alice was saying. And if I was honest, I was starting to feel pretty desperate to hear her voice again, though not desperate enough to ask for the opportunity. Instead, knowing I would only be able to hear Carlisle's side of the conversation anyway, I stood up and walked to the outer edge of the cave opening. I could still hear Carlisle, but I knew it would be enough of a sign for him to understand I didn't want to be a part of the conversation.

"Yes, she's safe." It seemed those were the first words Alice had allowed him time to say before monopolizing the call.

"No, I can't do that. Not yet. Alice, listen to me. Please."

Another minute went by before he was seemingly allowed to continue.

"It's complicated. And doing that would expose her to an entire faction of vampires that want to kill now and question later."

"It's her decision, Alice. We can get into the details when we get her home."

"No, not Forks. Louisiana."

"No, not all of us. I meant Northman and I."

This time I could hear the shrieking coming from Alice as Carlisle ever so gently closed the phone, ending the call.

The sun was beginning to set, and I knew we would be heading home in less than an hour. I wanted to ask what Alice said in the call, but after spending the entire day talking to Carlisle and rehashing memories better left in the past, I was truly exhausted. Not to mention, the last time I had actually slept was right after Eric and I had sex. The last thing I wanted was to confirm my suspicion that Alice would be waiting for me when we got to Louisiana. Opting to not talk at all, I turned away from Carlisle and decided to spend the last moments in the Romanian cave curled up next to Eric's motionless body.

"Bella?"

The sound of my name slowly brought me to life, despite my efforts to ignore it.

"Bella, I'm sorry, but you need to wake up. It's time to go."

I slowly opened my eyes, and found Eric's blue ones staring at me. I had just found a quiet place in my mind to retreat to for a few moments, hoping sleep would eventually find me there. But it hadn't, and although a few minutes of rest could never alleviate the utter exhaustion overtaking my body, combined with the adrenalin of knowing all the other vampires in Romania were waking up fueled enough energy in me to make me alert.

"Okay, so what's the plan? How are we getting to the airport?"

Eric just looked at me before asking, "What makes you think we're going to the airport?"

I blinked at him a couple of time, not immediately understanding how that was even a question.

"You said we were flying home, right?"

Eric wrapped his arms tightly around me, and then briefly looked at Carlisle before asking him, "I trust you can find your own way?"

The last thing I saw was Carlisle nodding and taking off running before I was being whisked away in the cold night air.


	10. Chapter 9

_A/N: Not a long chapter, but hopefully worth the wait. :)_

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><p>The night air was cool and felt strangely damp as Eric soared through the air. Even with all that I've seen, being in the sky without the assistance of, oh, I don't know – an airplane? - felt ridiculously surreal. And I loved it.<p>

I couldn't see much of where we were going in the blackness of night, but I doubt I would have paid attention if I could. Eric's arms were wound tightly around my waist, our bodies glued together. I felt something I hadn't expected – longing and a feeling of being close to home. It took me several minutes to realize those weren't my emotions I was experiencing.

"Bella, confusion is rolling through me in steady waves. What's on your mind?"

I don't know what it was about hearing him speak while we were flying, but the wind and altitude did something to his voice, made it huskier, definitely sexier.

"Bella, I can feel what you're feeling. I'm quite talented, but I can't have sex with you mid-air."

I would have choked on the embarrassment of his statement had it not been for the lust pulsating through my body. Now I knew _that_ wasn't just me.

"I can see already this bond thing is going to be a pain in the ass, isn't it?" I asked, already feeling the answer.

Eric responded with a barely audible grunt and I knew that was the only answer I was getting from him.

"So, what? Is it stronger when we're this close? Am I going to feel your emotions even when we're not near each other?"

"Eric?" His silence was becoming annoying.

"I understand you have questions, Bella. We're almost there and we can talk at length once we're on the ground."

I wanted to ask where "there" was, but decided against it. I couldn't explain it, but I knew we weren't anywhere near Louisiana, and that relieved me enough to not really care where we were going. The last thing I wanted when I had so many questions of my own was to be interrogated by a very impatient Alice, who I knew was probably waiting for me back in Shreveport.

As Eric descended, the salty air mixed with sea spray misting my bare arms and face intrigued me. I loved the ocean, and was trying to piece together where we could be. As he gently placed me on the ground, I looked around at my surroundings. We were on a coastal edge, and although it was still very dark, the moon illuminated the waves crashing against the rocks below us, letting me see just how high the cliff was that Eric brought me to. If I wasn't currently with a vampire that could fly, I might have been afraid of being so close to the edge and looking out over the cliff, but as I looked down, it didn't seem like we were that high. And even with the wind whipping around me, I felt safe.

"Where are we?"

"Just outside of a town called Fjallbacka. In Sweden."

Eric turned away and started walking to a small cottage – the only sign of human life visible for as far as my eyes could see. Without saying a word, I followed him inside.

The cottage was small and modest, having minimal furnishings that included a wooden rocking chair and a long wooden bench surrounding a stone fireplace. The kitchen area, for a lack of a better word, consisted of a large basin, a wood burning stove, and cabinets that I assumed contained cooking utensils or non-perishable food. As I continued to look around, Eric made himself at home, grabbing logs stacked in a corner and went right to work on building a fire.

Even before Eric's fire produced any heat, something about the place warmed me from the inside. It felt like home. I sat in the rocking chair and watched Eric as he messed with his fire. The muscles and veins on his forearms were more pronounced than usual as he maneuvered the logs to make them catch faster. I quickly got caught up in watching him, mesmerized by his experienced hands making quick work of the fire and imagining them making quick work on me.

"Bella?" He looked up from his crouched position, slowly standing and coming toward me.

My breath caught in my throat as the comparison of a panther stalking his prey immediately came to mind. But instead of scaring me, it turned me on, and suddenly the heat spreading throughout my body had nothing to do with the fire.

"Bella..." it was a whisper this time, as his hands slowly circled around the arms of the chair, and he leaned down to touch my neck with his lips. I gasped, wanting so badly for him to bite.

"Mmmm, I could get used to feeling how much you want me. It's quite...intoxicating."

I was speechless, the desire pumping through me now two-fold. I reached up, wrapping my arms around his neck, my back arching almost involuntarily as I tried to get his lips back on my neck, hoping the wanton feeling pumping through my veins would entice him to finally use his fangs and take me to a place I was desperate to go.

Finally I heard the tell-tale clicking of his fangs locking in place and I could barely stand the anticipation.

"Mmmm, Bella." He lowered his head, and slowly dragged his fangs down my body while he used his hands to spread my legs. The trail of where his fangs scraped my flesh left a burning sensation that felt more delicious than painful. I didn't need him to spread my legs though, I was right there with him, spreading them even wider, wanting so badly to be touched.

Without warning, Eric clamped down on my femoral artery and an explosion of feelings – urgency, desperation, lust, satisfaction, and others I couldn't concentrate on enough to place – wracked through my body. As I rode the waves of my orgasm, I could feel something else building in me, something that went deeper than just lust.

After Eric took his last pull, he pricked his finger on his left fang and rubbed his blood into the two punctures on the inside of my thigh. He stood up, grabbing my hand in his, and pulling me up in the process. He turned and led me toward the back of the cottage, where an entrance to a very large bedroom was tucked in an alcove behind a stone wall. I hadn't even noticed it when I first looked around inside the cottage. The bedroom looked considerably more welcoming, having more furnishings than what I'd seen so far from the rest of the place. The bed was king sized and was the destination Eric had in mind as he gently pushed me down on its edge.

Eric began unbuttoning my shirt as he finally started talking.

"Bella, you have to understand that having a blood bond will intensify feelings that you have, but it won't create ones you don't. As time passes, you'll be able to differentiate your own emotions from mine, and as you learn how to do this, it will strengthen our connection. If we continue to be bound then with just a little bit of time, maybe a few months or even weeks, depending on our connection, we'll be able to feel each other from seemingly impossible distances. I could be standing in the middle of Iceland while you are in Antarctica and I would be able to feel your every emotion. Even now, as the blood bond is new, I would be able to feel your most intense emotions – mostly fear – with that same distance."

He had my shirt completely undone, and was pushing it off my shoulders as he continued.

"Given everything I just said, if you decide you want to end the bond, I'll find a witch capable of performing the task. But I'm going to leave that up to you."

As he said his last sentence, he pushed me back on the bed so I was lying down with his arms on either side of me, hovering his body over mine.

"Why would you leave it up to me? Do you want to keep the bond?"

His lips pressed into mine as he lowered his body, letting me feel the weight of his 6'4" muscled frame on top of me.

"Actually, I'm rather enjoying feeling how much you want me. It's taking quite a lot of control for me to not chain you to this bed and fuck you senseless for hours on end."

"Who says you'd need to chain me?"

Eric didn't miss a beat, "And when did I say the word 'need'? I'm feeding off your emotions, remember? The chains are what you want, not what I need."

As he said this, he moved my hands above my head, and held them there with his left hand. His right hand, now free, stroked my face before trailing down my body, hovering over my core. I arched up, seeking friction, as he leaned down and whispered, "Deny it."

I couldn't possibly deny it. I wanted him to fuck me. I wanted him to have his way with me, and I wanted to feel completely vulnerable to everything he could possibly do to my body, so the thought of restraints were definitely turning me on.

"I can't deny it. So what's stopping you?"

"I want something more."

And suddenly, I understood the deepening feelings I was having and realized they weren't entirely my own, though I also didn't feel like they were exclusively his either.

"Me too."

And then it happened. I felt more connected to Eric in this moment than I'd ever felt to anyone, ever. And although I wasn't sure what to make of my new found emotions, I knew in this moment, I really did need more. He let go of my hands, and I moved them under his shirt so I could feel his flesh against my skin.

"You're too clothed." I said, as my fingers dug into his back, under his shirt.

With vampiric speed, he flipped us over so I was laying on top of him.

"Then do something about it."

I took no time doing what he asked, undressing him with a quickness and proficiency that I impressed myself with.

"That's better." I leaned down and kissed him, as his hands found mine, intertwining them.

He flipped us over again, raising our hands above my head as he slowly pushed inside of me. This time, he didn't bite to prevent me from feeling every inch of him finding its way into my womb, knowing that this time there would be no pain he needed to mask.

I felt almost strange as his steady motions matched the rhythmic pulsing of my heart beat for beat, as if Eric was just an extension of my own body. We were in complete unison as the climax building in both of us erupted.

I was spent, and somewhere between kisses and sweet caresses, sleep finally took over.

* * *

><p><em>"Eric, I don't get it. You're not exactly the type to spout sonnets and publicly declare your love. So what's your angle? Why are you being so gentle with me?"<em>

_"Bella, I'm not working an angle. I've never felt this way before."_

_"See, that right there. I don't understand that. You and Sookie were blood bound before and I don't remember you telling me stories of it causing you to make romantic overtures. And you loved her, for all I know you still do. So how have you not felt this way before? Coming from me, that makes sense, but you're a thousand years old, surely you've felt something similar to this before? I just want you to be honest with me. What's this about, and don't tell me the blood bond is making you act this way."_

_"I never said it was the blood bond. And I'm not going to tell you that I've felt this way before to satisfy what you perceive what my life was like before we met. I'm not saying this to you again, so listen closely. What I felt for Sookie is over and it wasn't like this. I don't know if it was the fae in her, or if it was because Bill had her first, or if I was just intensely attracted to her, but I didn't feel the same way about her as I feel about you. Stop throwing my past with Sookie in my face as a reason for my dishonesty. You have no idea what you're talking about. And as for me not being the type to be romantic, I'm a thousand years old as you so kindly reminded me, and in my human life I was a Viking Prince. Do you really think the notion of romance is completely lost on me? I carry myself a certain way in public because of my position, I can't afford to show any vulnerabilities. But we aren't in public, Bella, we're in one of my homes on the west coast of Sweden, and a lack of privacy isn't exactly a concern right now. And for the record, you are the only person that I've ever brought here. Not even Pam knows about this house, so what does that say?"_

_"I don't know what it says. I just don't want to get hurt, Eric. If this is a game, or if what's between us benefits you in some way, I just want you to tell me so I can protect myself."_

_"I promise, I have no intention of hurting you, Bella. You don't need to protect yourself from me, please believe that. Now, wake up."_

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><p>The feeling of silk and flesh touching my body brought me back to reality. I opened my eyes and found Eric looking down at me.<p>

"Interesting dream." He said with a quirked eyebrow.

I covered my face. "Please tell me the bond doesn't let you see my dreams too?"

"Actually, when we first had our blood exchange I could sense what your dreams were about, though I couldn't see or hear vivid details. I'm sure you remember that, since you thought I was calling you every time they started to get, _interesting_. The blood bond goes quite a few steps further. Our consciousnesses can connect at rest, I wasn't just seeing your dream, I was having it with you."

"Oh." It was all I could think to say.

"Bella, this isn't a game to me and I don't have an agenda. I brought you here instead of going home because I needed time to think. Feeling this way, it makes me vulnerable and I need to figure out how to keep this from exposing us to danger."

"How would having feelings for me be dangerous?"

"Because vampires aren't supposed to feel this way about humans. Humans are a food source, a mobile blood bag. Seeing a human as anything else will make me look weak. Weakness isn't tolerated in our hierarchy, and that makes me a target, and you one by extension. I can't protect you if I'm being targeted more than usual."

"What if you didn't have to protect me? What if I was as strong as you and could help protect both of us?"

"Bella, what are you _saying_?"

"I'm _saying_, what if you turned me? What if you made me like you?"

Eric closed his eyes and took what felt like an eternity before answering.

"Bella, that wouldn't make you more safe. My kind of vampire is easily killed. It would be better for you if it was one of _them_ that turned you."

He didn't have to be more specific. I knew exactly the "them" he was referring to, and it was absolutely out of the question.

"That will never happen."

He frowned at me, and his look was distant, as he said, "We can stay here for a few days before making any decisions."

"Eric, listen to me closely. If I decide to become a vampire, I want you as my maker. End of discussion."

Instead of arguing, he covered my mouth with his, signaling that for now the discussion was tabled while we used the cottage's remote location to our full advantage, again.


End file.
